Punishment
by Mychal
Summary: Kylo Ren is furious at Rey for choosing the Rebels over him. He is determined to hunt her down and deliver the punishment that she so richly deserves. Rated M for later chapters. Slow Burn. Dark fic. Do not read if themes of punishment and domination offend you. This is my first fic...
1. Prologue

Prologue

She shut the door.

She shut the door, on him.

A flurry of emotion rioted in Kylo Ren's mind. Loneliness, self-doubt, guilt and hate all vied for dominance in his mind. The cacophony of emotions made it difficult to focus, to find his center. He longed to unsheathe his saber and destroy the room around him, but he didn't. He knew that he needed to focus. Now was not the time to let emotions rule him. It was not the time to lash out indiscriminately, even for the cathartic release of destruction.

Even now he could feel the machinations of Hux. Kylo could practically taste the General's hatred and contempt for him. They had always been adversaries, despite being on the same side. Both had identified the other as a rival in Snoke's estimation and had sought to cut each other down at each opportunity. Snoke had been the only thing that kept the two from open aggression. But now Snoke was gone. Kylo had eliminated his master himself. It would be even easier to cut His down. Kylo could imagine how satisfying it would be to see the shock in Hux's eyes as life left is body.

But giving in to the whims of his emotions was a thing of the past. Now was the time to let the past die. He would kill it, if he had to.


	2. Chapter 1

Chapter One

Rey and Leia sat together in silence while everyone else around them rejoiced. Rejoiced for what, Rey was not sure of. Yes, they had escaped the First Order today, but for how long? How far could they run when there was no shelter in sight? Their allies had abandoned them to death. Heard them call out in their greatest hour of need and remained silent.

Leia tried to remain positive, but Rey could see the stain on the older woman. The weight of the day came crashing down upon the General and while Leia remained outwardly resolute, her will of iron had begun to crack.

How many years had this woman stood up for the downtrodden? How many sacrifices had she made for the sake of the faceless masses? Her husband, her brother and even her son were gone. The loss was enough to break anyone.

So, Rey smiled back a Leia when the woman told her that "we have everything we need." She held her hand and watched as the others hugged each other and retold the story of Luke Skywalker, Jedi Master, as he faced down the might of the First Order.

No one else knew that Luke was dead. Eventually, they would have to be told, but for now the knowledge remained between the two women. Neither had the heart to caste a dark shadow over everyone else's joy.

Not many people approached her, despite the close quarters Rey could sense that everyone besides Finn and Leia regarded her with a little bit of awe and trepidation. They grateful that she saved them and thrilled that another Force user was on their side, but Rey was also regarded with a little bit of caution. She supposed she would feel that same if her first glimpse of a person was them performing an impossible feat.

The only person that seemed immune was the pilot, Poe. He approached her with no apprehension. Just gave her a smile and introduced himself. His instant acceptance helped her feel at ease in the room full of strangers that were clearly bonded by their shared trauma.

Rey looked over again at Finn. He was clearly distressed by Rose's condition. Rey wanted to help but didn't want to intrude on her friend. Finn seemed like he had bigger things on his mind than their reunion. It wasn't as if they hadn't had a nice reunion. Rey knew that Finn cared about her and didn't feel threatened by him making more friends. If anyone deserved it, Finn did. The former Stormtrooper deserved every bit of happiness the universe had to offer in Rey's estimation.

Still feeling a little out of place, she left to check on Chewie. Besides, the Falcon really needed two to pilot it. Now that the First Order able to track ships through hyperspace, they needed to stay alert. Redirecting her thoughts to what lay ahead, Rey tried to say positive. Despite all that had happened, they had survived. And above all, she refused to think of the haunted look on Kylo Ren's face as she closed the door.

….

"Sir there is no trace of the Rebels. It seems that they were able to escape on the Millennium Falcon." The lieutenant who delivered the message was clearly terrified.

The only hint of displeasure on Supreme Leader Kylo Ren's face was a slight tightening of his lips while his listened to the report. He already knew the rebels were gone. He could feel the distance between himself and Rey. Feel it and hate it. He could not let it distract him. What he needed to focus his energy on was solidifying his position and to rebuilding the First Order.

He could sense the doubt that many regarded him with. He was too young, too inexperienced to take over for Snoke. This first defeat did not help him. Especially since it was clear that he had let his personal history with Skywalker interfere with their primary objective of wiping out the Rebels. Several had seen his reaction when Skywalker had not died in the barrage of canon fire.

Leaders had to inspire confidence in their subordinates. He could not allow himself to be perceived as weak.

People had always underestimated him. Thought that he was only a brute instrument. A tool to be used and disposed of. But Kylo was also a careful student. As a child, he had learned much watching his Mother as she deliberated with other senators from the New Republic. Hell, it was practically the only time he got to spend with her as a child.

He had also learned much from Snoke, far more than his former master had realized. Like the importance of moving in the shadows, of manipulating others to achieve your own goals.

"We are done here," Kylo stated. "Return all troops and supplies to the Vanquish."

As he turned to leave, General Hux attempted to block his path. It was clear from the flush of color that stained the man's face that the erstwhile commander was ready to launch himself into quite a fit. Not in the mood to entertain one of the General's tantrums, or to have him undermine his authority in front of the troops, Kylo exerted a subtle amount of force on the General's body. Forcing him to remain silent and to take a step back.

"General Hux," he commanded. "I leave you to supervise the transfer of any salvageable equipment and supplies from the Supremacy to our nearest star destroyers. The handful of Rebels that survived are beneath our notice. Let them run like the cowards they are and have always been. No longer with the First Order, focus our energies on the petty annoyances of a few rather than strengthening our position within the galaxy."

With that, Kylo departed. Leaving the stuttering General in his wake. Hux had almost outlived his usefulness. Kylo would only need to tolerate him for a little while longer. He smiled at the thought of what would come next for Hux. The man's confidence in himself and presumption of superiority would make his fall even more satisfying.

Besides, Kylo had more important things to focus on. Like how he would punish Rey for turning her back on him, twice.


	3. Chapter 2

Chapter Two

Once aboard the Vanquish, Kylo Ren issued the order that the ship was to head to Mustafar. It was on his Grandfather's chosen world that he would begin his new campaign. He also issued the order that all First Order High Command were to join him on the planet. All except General Hux. Let the man languish cleaning up the wreckage of the Supremacy. Hux no longer mattered when it came the direction of the First Order.

After issuing his command, Kylo returned to his quarters. Food was already waiting for him, but he ignored it and headed straight to the fresher. Dropping his clothing to the ground, he turned the water as hot as it would go before climbing in. Even the minor pain inflicted by the scalding water as it ran over every cut and abrasion he had sustained over the past 12 hours helped clear his mind and sharpen his focus.

Pain had always been a tool of the dark side. Pain and passion. It had taken both to show him his path. To remove the conflict that had once tormented his soul. He was no longer in torment. Instead he would show the scavenger what it meant to be tortured.

Rage curled in his belly as he thought about her reaching for his Grandfather's saber. She was going to use it to strike against him. Again.

He had offered her everything. A place at his side and the ability to shape her own destiny. Never again would she be the victim of another's will. With him, she would shape the galaxy to whatever her heart desired. Now the only thing she would have is submission. Submission to him in every way that he desired.

Turning off the water, Kylo left the fresher and cleared his mind of the little scavenger. She would be his soon enough.

Right now, he needed to focus on the path forward. One of the biggest mistakes that the former Emperor and Snoke had in common was their need to be recognized as the ultimate authority in the universe. While Kylo shared the same goal, he understood that both former rulers failed to recognize. The importance of seeming to give people a choice. Few people had the fortitude to think for themselves, but all people liked to believe that they did.

By giving the Galactic Senate back to the people, he will accomplish what both the Emperor and Snoke failed to do. He will unify the galaxy under his leadership and remove the reason for the rebellion to exist in the first place.

There was historical precedence for this kind of ruling structure. The strongest and longest lasting of the ancient civilizations embraced this concept. An Emperor to rule the Empire, with a senate to give voice to the will of the people. While others wasted away in the swamp of democracy, he would be able to rule the empire unopposed.

He had not lied when he told Hux that the rebellion was below their notice. There were too few of their unruly number to really poise a threat. The most damning evidence that the rebel cause was all but extinguished was that they had already been left for dead by their so-called comrades.

What the First Order needed to focus on was not letting the spark of hope that the rebels had eked out Crait grow larger. To do that the First Order needed to further isolate the Rebel hardliners from their more reluctant comrades.

This was easy enough to do now that the Order had decrypted the reception points from their last desperate plea. Small, tactical units trained for stealth and known for their brutal efficacy were already en route. The tactical units were under orders to observe the Rebel Leaders from the Outer Rim. Threat assessments were to be quantified of the remaining leadership. Those who were deemed too aggressive or likely to reverse cause and support the survivors of Crait would be eliminated in a manner that could not be traced back to the Order.

Those in the Leadership that were tired of the endless fighting and ready to abide by a general cease fire would be allowed to live and shepherd the rest of their flock to a permanent resolution.

…..

Mustafar was a balm to him. The planet had always been deeply connected to the dark side. It was the place that his grandfather had made his seat of power. Where Vader had trained and where he had communed with the dark side. He felt whole here, Kylo's mind clearer and more centered.

Snoke had not lied when he told the girl that he had been the one stoking the conflict in Kylo's soul. For so long Kylo had felt that it had been his failing, the constant pull back to the light. Now he saw that much of that conflict stemmed from his former master. The constant chaos in his mind had not originated with him, but with Snoke. Just another layer of control and manipulation by the skilled dark side user. With his former master dead, his thoughts were now his own.

Walking briskly into the reception gallery, Kylo steeled himself for the potential battle to come. He had commanded that all the Knights of Ren gather in the main audience chamber. Surveying the room, Kylo saw that they had all arrived.

Each knight stood silent, a healthy distance away from their fellow comrades. Their masks on, guarding their expressions. They were not a close group. Friendships and bonds could exist among dark side users, but the Knights of Ren operated more as a band of highly skilled mercenaries.

They had a code and a certain sense of honor, but their main guiding principal was strength above all. If you were not strong enough to hold your place, someone else would take it from you. That kind of ethos didn't foster close relationships, but it did engender a feeling of mutual respect. Each knight had earned their place through blood and combat and held it by their strength alone.

"I killed Snoke," Kylo stated without preamble. "If anyone desires to take my place as leader, now is the time to challenge me."

The news of Snoke's death caused a slight ripple to go through the group. If Kylo was not so attuned to everyone's body language it would have been easy to miss. The subtle shifting in one's stance, the change in breathing. Kylo looked boldly at each Knight in turn. Silently daring anyone to step forward and meet his challenge.

The air was thick with tension. It seemed to build and build until a battle seemed inevitable. Then, one by one, each Knight took a knee and bowed their head before him. "Supreme Leader," each intoned.

Kylo was almost disappointed that no one had stepped forward to challenge him. After the events of the past few days, he was hungry for a good fight. He would have welcomed an excuse to unleash all his pent-up fury. To feel the surge of blood lust as it saturated every cell in his body.

"Rise. We have much work to do. I have called all of the First Order leadership here and there is much to do to prepare."

With that he issued his orders to each Knight. Confident that each would follow his orders to their exact specifications. This would be the first steps towards unifying the galaxy. He would finish what his grandfather started.


	4. Chapter 3

Chapter Three

The accommodations on Mustafar were sparse and utilitarian to say the least. His Grandfather did not indulge in many creature comforts and despised any outsiders' incursion into his sanctuary. The room where the meeting was to take place was devoid of any decoration. Just stark stone walls and floor. The room was round with only two entrances. As the leadership entered from the south, each took their place at the imposing round table located in the middle of the room.

The men and women gathered around the table represented the highest echelon of the First Order. All had dedicated their lives to the belief that a firm order must be reinstated to keep the galaxy from falling into chaos.

Three Knights of Ren stood at against the wall at equidistant points behind the seated delegates. Their posture so still and so unchanging it would have been easy to think that they were just statues.

The Knights that he had chosen were the most adept at reading emotions. None could hold a candle to Snoke's ability, but that mattered little to Kylo. Each was proficient enough to pick up on any responses that were not in line with Kylo's vision for the future.

Entering the room from the north entrance, Kylo did not sit at the table. The place where his chair would have stood was empty. The officers gathered before him were not his equals. He was their leader. The sooner they recognized this, the sooner the real work could begin.

"Supreme Leader Snoke is dead. He and all his praetorian guards were murdered aboard the Supremacy. A small rebel group infiltrated the ship with the help of traitors to the First Order. I have assumed command and have already rooted out the traitors. They are being dealt with as we speak."

Kylo paused after this statement, giving his words time to sink in. A ripple passed through the assembled officers. Low murmuring began, and several members turned away from him to look at each other. Clearly trying to read how everyone else was taking the news.

Commander Retan of the Nemesis was the first to speak.

"The loss of our Supreme Leader is a devastating blow to the Order and cannot be overstated. It was Snoke who showed us the path when the Empire fell. It was Snoke that lead us out of chaos and showed us how to restore order to this system of anarchy. I agree that any rebel sympathizers and traitor should be rooted out and made an example of, but where is Hux? As commander aboard the Supremacy, he should be here to present the evidence. Any conversation without Hux present is moot."

Before, Kylo would have been enraged that someone so far beneath him would seek to challenge his authority. Now he could only feel a cold amusement. Like when a small rodent dared to show its fangs to a Rathtar. Let the man bluster, he would soon know the error of his ways.

"The evidence will be made available to anyone in this room that wishes to see it. However, as part of the traitors, Hux's role is not to review it. He will stand trial for his actions."

A storm of reactions erupted from the group at Kylo's words. Some officers stood up in outrage and began bellowing to see the evidence now. Others began arguing with Hux's defenders. Only three, possessed the self-discipline to not react at all.

Everyone at the table knew Hux's ambitions. It had long been rumored that Hux had his own father murdered in order to advance. It was also no secret that Hux chaffed at his rank stalling at General. Long had the man desired the Rank of Grand Moff. Hux's ill feeling about Snoke's constant denial of that rank was known throughout the Order.

Not inclined to tolerate the tantrums of subordinates, Kylo raised his hand and excreted enough of the Force on the party to still everyone's movements. The action had the desired effect. Silence descended on the room. Kylo let the silence stretch out until it was almost painful with anticipation for what was to come next. When all eyes were revited upon his, and filled with a healthy dose of fear, did he speak.

"Arrangements for the trial are already underway. Hux and the rest of the traitors will be tried before the First Order. The evidence will either damn them or exonerate them. For now, rest and restore yourselves. In six hours, we will reconvene here to discuss the future of the First Order."

While there was no hostility in his words, there was no mistaking them for anything other than an order. He slowly released his grip on everyone, letting them regain possession of their limbs with a deliberate languor. No one would doubt that the only reason they could move again was because he willed it.

Kylo turned and left the room without sparing anyone a backwards glance. Going directly to the training hall, Kylo only had to wait a few minutes for the three Knights to join him. They filed silently into the room and waited for his next order.

"You were able to gather the information." It was a statement, not a question.

"Yes, Supreme leader." All three answered in unison.

"Good. Kill anyone that opposes my will. Do it now."

The three left the room to carry out his order. Kylo shrugged out of his shirt and began loosening up his muscles. He intended to push himself during this training session. He would leave his enemies within the First Order to his Knights. Kylo would handle the threat from the remaining Jedi himself.


	5. Chapter 4

Chapter Four

Rey, Chewie and Poe sat around the gaming table on the Falcon trying to decide what their next move should be. Finn would not leave Rose's side and Leia was asleep. Everyone agreed that the General needed her rest more than anything right now. They could handle keeping the Rebels alive for a few hours.

"I don't think we can count on any of our allies to give us shelter right now," Poe stated. "They left us to die on Crait."

Bitterness was evident in his tone. Rey sat back in her seat while observing the young Captain. He seemed to be the second in command after Leia. Aside from their earlier introduction, Rey knew little about the young Captain. Finn had shared a few stories about him and it was obvious Finn held Poe in high regard, but Rey wanted to wait to reserve judgement. Recent events had warned her against trusting too easily.

If Rey was being honest with herself, she was shocked that she had let her guard down so easily. She wasn't a naturally closed off person, but a lifetime of living on Jakku, where every day was a struggle to stay alive, had taught her that most people were only looking out for themselves. More often than not, it was dangerous to let people get too close.

Finn and Leia proved that not everyone was bad, but she had to admit she was horribly wrong about Ben. No, she stopped herself. He isn't Ben, he chose to be Kylo. A person's actions were the truest test of their character and in the end Kylo had embraced the dark. It stung. She had been so convinced that she could turn him. That he would return to the light and stand by her.

After he killed Snoke, he had looked at her with such conviction. She felt the rightness of it all. That fighting by his side was her destiny and she had taken the right path. Despite Snoke's words, the bond between them had only grown stronger after his death. When they battled Snoke's guard together, Rey could feel the connection binding and strengthening them both. It was as if together, they were more than the sum of their parts.

Rey had desperately wanted to be right about him. That there was still good in him. That he would return to the light. She had been so horribly naïve. Again, she was shocked at herself. Where had the self-reliant Jakku scavenger gone? Master Skywalker even warned her. His last words an ominous warning that "this will not go the way you think."

Pulling her mind away from self-recriminations she focused on the conversation at hand.

"Chewie is right," she stated. "We don't need to figure out a permanent base of operations right now. What we need is someplace safe to refuel and restock our provisions. Also, Rose is stable, but the Falcon doesn't have the medical supplies she needs to get better."

Their recent activities had reduced the fuel and food stores on the Falcon and unless they wanted to be caught in the same position that the rebellion had just escaped, running out of fuel with the First Order hunting them down, they at least needed to land someplace soon. The trouble was, there were not many places in the galaxy that were safe.

"The First Order will be disorganized with the loss of Snoke, but I don't think we can count on that lasting long," said Poe.

"No, we can't," agreed Rey. "We saw on Crait how determined they are to exterminate every one of us."

Chewie then growled out the best suggestion Rey had heard all day.

"Kashyyyk is perfect" agreed Rey.

"I am not so sure," countered Poe. "Kylo Ren knows that Chewie is with us. Kashyyyk is a fairly obvious choice of safe harbor."

"I agree that we can't stay there permanently, but we will be safe there long enough to refuel and resupply."

"Alright, but we will need to be fast. I don't think there are any guarantees right now."

Chewie growled out this feelings regarding Poe's doubts of the safety of his home world. Rey suppressed a smile and decided it was probably a good thing that not everyone spoke Wookie.

…

Rey turned in a slow circle as she took in Chewie's home world. It was like something out a child's fantasy. Enormous trees dominated the planet. The entire Wookie society lived among the treetops. The décor was an enchanting combination of rustic elegance and advanced technology.

The lush treetops provided shade but there was a lot of space between trees. The sunlight streaming down looked golden and warm, illuminating the walking paths built to connect each of the trees.

Rey stopped her silent revere when she felt Leia beside her.

"Chewie is settling the others. You and I have been asked to stay with his family."

"I didn't know that Chewie had a family," Rey stated.

"Chewie never formed a pair bond, but he still has extended family. Many Wookies died during the slave era and most families were divided. When Han saved Chewie's life, he was still young for their race. The life debt that Chewie felt he owed Han prevented him from ever forming a family of his own."

"Do you think that Chewie will remain here?"

Leia sighed and looked down as she replied. "I don't know. Han was the only reason that Chewie stayed away for so long. Now that he is gone…" Leia's words trailed off at the end.

"Hey, let's go get settled in ourselves. I don't know about you, but I could do with a bath and a very large meal."

Leia laughed. "You should be careful what you wish for. Most Wookie meals could feed a family of eight."

"Sound perfect." Rey linked her arm with Leia's and set out in search of Chewie.


	6. Chapter 5

Chapter Five

Rey didn't think there was anything in the universe as wonderful as a warm bath. After living in a desert for her entire life, the luxury of submerging your entire body in a pool of warm water felt like the most decadent treat anyone could experience.

The tub had been built for a Wookie, so she was practically swimming in the water. She had been in the water so long her fingertips had started to get wrinkled. Sighing, she knew that she couldn't stay in the bath forever. Problems didn't wait until you wanted to deal with them.

Getting out of the water, she made quick work of drying off and getting dressed. The garment that had been left out for her was not something that she would have picked for herself. Then again, she should just be grateful that there were any clean cloths her size available.

It was a soft dress that fell all the way to her ankles. The material was dark green and cut into a halter style. Buttoning the collar behind her neck, she turned when there was a soft knock at the door.

"Rey," Leia called. "May I come in?"

"Of course," Rey replied.

Leia walked directly to her and gently turned Rey back towards the mirror. Looking at Rey in the mirror for a moment Leia asked if she could style Rey's hair. "On Alderan, women would fashion their hair in different styles to commemorate major occurrences," she explained. "The braid holding my hair back is traditional to signify morning and grief."

"Yes, please do," Rey replied. She moved to grab a nearby dressing chair and sat it in front of the mirror. Leia ran her hands through Rey's hair, gently parting it and beginning to twist the strands into the desired shape.

No one had ever done this for her. Rey basked in the sensation of being cared for.

The concept of willingly touching another being was still strange to her. In the desert, everything was scrupulously guarded and saved because you never knew when it might be of value. It was near impossible to form close relationships because of the omnipresent threat that someone would take what was yours. This took on particular significance when you realized that you were never more than a few missed meals away from starvation. Your stuff, literally stood between you and death. Looking back, the most physical contact she had on Jakku was when she was fighting.

For all those lonely years, the one thing that Rey truly wanted was a family. Specifically, a mother and a father that would care for her, protect her and teach her. Kylo Ren was right, it was her greatest weakness.

"There," Leia said while putting the finishing touches on her hair. "You look lovely."

Rey had to admit, she certainly looked different. She still looked like herself but somehow she looked more mature, a little more world wary. She wasn't sure that she liked the dress. It was lovely, but it didn't feel like her. There was no way that she could fight in it without it getting destroyed. She felt much more comfortable in a tunic with sturdy pants.

"Chewie has gathered what remains of his family. Tonight, they are going to honor Han and Luke in the style of their people. I know that you only knew them for a brief time, but I would be honored if you would take part in the celebration."

"Celebration?" A frown formed between her brows as she pondered the word.

"Wookies have a tradition of sending off the honored dead by retelling their greatest escapades and celebrating who the departed was in life. They believe that If you remember the dead and tell their stories, they are never really gone."

Recognizing the significance of such an invitation Rey replied solemnly, "I would be honored to join."

…

The funeral celebration had gone long into the night. Rey's sides still hurt from laughing as she stumbled back to her quarters. Dresses definitely were not for her. She had tripped over the hem at least half a dozen times.

Rey had no idea two people could get into so much trouble. She believed that Han was capable of such mischief but stoic Master Skywalker…. Rey could hardly believe it.

The two seemed to be trouble magnets, whether they were together or apart. The story about the trash compactor was particularly hilarious. If it was possible for a droid to sound mortified, then that was what C-3PO sounded like when he had mistaken the group's cheers of relief that the walls had stopped moving for the agonized shouting of their deaths.

Rey had to admit, the celebration helped ease the hurt in her heart. It was still there, but it was duller now. The Wookies were correct, it was better to celebrate the life of the departed than to mourn their loss. Grief was natural, but as long as people remembered them they were never really gone.

Rey was so lost in thought, thinking back on some of the more scandalous stories, that it took her a moment to realize that she was not alone. Turning to a darkened corner of the room, Rey saw the man that was responsible for the loss of both Han and Master Luke. Ren….

He stepped closer to her but did not say a word. Merely looking her up and down much like he did in the forest on Takadona. For once Rey was silent. She had already said everything she needed to say to him. She had pleaded with him to not follow the dark path. The void between them was his doing. When she closed the door in his face, she meant it. She wanted nothing more to do with him.

His gaze settled on her hair for a long moment before his eyes pierced her with their intensity. "I see you are with the General."

His voice was hard but contained. As if he was struggling to keep any emotion out of his words.

Not that Rey had any wish to hear him or to see him. Turning away Rey moved to put some distance between them. She'd hoped that last glimpse of him on Crait would be the last time the Force connected them like this. Obviously, that hope proved to be futile. Still, that didn't mean that she had to acknowledge him.

"Cherish this time you have with the thieves, murderers and traitors that you call friends. I will not forgive you for your betrayal. I want you to know that your time is limited. You are marked, scavenger. I will never stop hunting you."

Rey fully intended to ignore him. However, when he accused her of betraying him, her eyes shot up. She met his gaze in the mirror. In the reflection she saw that Kylo had closed the distance between them and was standing just behind her right shoulder. He leaned in close and whispered his next words right into her ear.

"I intend to enjoy punishing you."

With that, the connection severed, and he was gone, but Rey could still feel his warm breath on her neck.


	7. Chapter 6

Chapter Six

How dare she, Kylo thought. How dare she ignore him. How dare she stand there, looking as regal as he had ever seen her, like nothing had occurred Snoke's throne room. Her defiance stoked his rage.

Before, he would have instantly released his anger on the nearest object. Using his saber to decimate everything in his vicinity. He now understood that had been a mistake. It was better to hold on to the rage, to let it fill every particle of his being and to fuel him for the fight to come.

And there would be a fight to come. The little Jedi was mistaken if she thought that they were done. There was nowhere in the universe that he would not come for her. He meant what he said when he told her to enjoy this time. These would be the last moments of freedom for her. Once he had solidified his standing throughout the galaxy, he would turn the full might of the First Order to finding her.

She could have been a queen at his side. Instead she chose to betray him. And for what? A handful of miscreants that she barely knew.

Kylo had dispatched one Knight to travel to Jakku to find out more about her history. He intended to use everything and anything available to punish her. Her every weakness would be exploited. Used to show her the gravity of her error.

He was glad that the force bond continued beyond Snoke's death. He had not been sure that it would. There was limited knowledge regarding force bonds but his connection to Rey continued to strengthen. Maybe the bond had solidified when they had touch hands.

In that moment, Kylo had felt her acceptance. Only their fingertips had touched but the connection had seared through his entire being. He had felt and seen images from her past and their future. Had felt her loneliness and her fear that her parents were never coming back. Beneath the loneliness and fear he felt an emotion that he understood all too well. Confusion, confusion as to why the people that should have cared for her, protected her, had just walked away. Her soul ached with the question of what she had done to drive them away.

There were many nights that Kylo had felt the same. His father had tried to hide it, but the first time that Kylo had demonstrated his aptitude with the Force, Han had looked disappointed. That was really when his father had started smuggling again. Han had needed to get away from him. His mother had been more understanding, but the needs of the galaxy had always superseded the needs of her child.

Leia had also rejected the Force. She associated the Force with Vader. In her mind, by rejecting her own power, she was rejecting Vader and all that he stood for. She had worshipped her adopted father and dedicated her life to following his example of diplomacy and democracy.

Kylo hoped that the had finally found a place to belong when he joined Luke's training academy. His uncle had embraced the Force and nurtured the potential that he saw in others. At least he had. Their family had always been drawn to the dark. Kylo knew that even the righteous Luke Skywalker had once struck against Vader in anger. Luke had used his rage at Vader threatening Leia to strike the dark lord down. But instead of helping guide Kylo, Luke had decided to kill him.

Finding someone to truly accept you was the rarest gift in the galaxy. He had given it to Rey, but she had rejected him. Turned against him like all the others. She would suffer for her mistake. He would see to that.

There was much work to do before he could dedicate his full attention to her. He had a galaxy to bring to heel. Striping out of his clothing he climbed into bed and fell into a deep sleep.

…

The assembled Knights of Ren kneeled before him, either in person or in hologram. Each one had carried out their assignments with brutal efficiency. He had expected no less.

Five of the First Order leadership that had gathered on Mustafar were already dead. Their commands given to ambitious officers that were more amenable to Kylo's rule. The troops that had witnessed his failure on Crait were also dead. Hyperdrive malfunction had eliminated the transport vessel that had been carrying them. Hux was the only person from the First Order who had witnessed the battle directly and still lived. Kylo smirked when he thought about his plans for Hux. The general would beg for an easy death by the time he was done with him.

Hux would be Kylo's olive branch to the galaxy. The sacrificial lamb that would pacify the masses. Hux, didn't realize this of course. Kylo had kept the General on clean up detail and monitored all his communications. The fool didn't realize that he was helping solidify Kylo's position. When Hux contacted his supporters to try to formulate a coup, that person was marked. Hux was cutting off his own head.

A tribunal would soon be called. Anyone within the Order that opposed Kylo's rule with either be quietly eliminated or would stand trial before the galaxy for war crimes.

"Have we established communications with Rebel leaders that would be amenable to a cease fire?"

Vars Ren was the first to answer. "We have my lord. There are three leaders within the Rebels that are willing to discuss terms. The Rebels were broken before Crait. With the exception of the forces lead by General Leia Organa, the remnants of the rebellion have lost the will to fight. At least, the majority have."

"Explain," demanded Kylo.

"Word of Skywalker's return bolstered confidence in the Rebellion. However, since no one has heard from Skywalker since, many are beginning to believe that his return was just a story. A last-ditch effort to rally anyone to General Organa's side."

"The information obtained on the remaining Rebel forces in the outer rim has also allowed us to eliminate any cells that would have answered Organa's call. The remaining leadership is looking for a way to end this. The news of Snoke's death has given them hope that a peaceful resolution could be obtained."

"Good," Kylo replied. "The next phase of the plan is crucial for our success. We will need their support to provide legitimacy to our reign. Everyone has their orders, phase two is officially underway."

With that Kylo dismissed his Knights. A little smirk graced his face when he thought about General Organa. How in the end, the rebellion that she has spent her life fighting for would abandon her twice. First, when they left her to die on Crait and again when they moved forward without her. And they would move forward without her, Kylo would see to that.

When Leia had been a senator, her ability to lead had been called into question many times by the galaxy at large. Being the daughter of the most hated man in the galaxy tended to make many people uncomfortable. On top of that, Leia was first and foremost a wartime General. She preached peace, but she had always been one of the first to pick up arms. She went into battle herself and she had asked other people to die for her cause. But soon there would be no need to fight. Everyone wanted to lay down their arms. A warmonger like General Organa had no place in peace. Soon General Organa would know what it was like to be caste out. Abandoned by the people she had sacrificed her family for. Kylo had to admit, it was a crueler punishment than death.


	8. Chapter 7

Chapter Seven

Everyone that had survived the battle at Crait gathered together in Chewie's family home. There was heavy debate regarding what to do next.

"They left us for dead."," shouted Finn.

Rose put a firm but gentle hand on Finn's forearm and it seemed to take a little of the anger out of him. At her touch, Finn gazed down at her face. Their connection was obvious to the entire room. Rey was glad that the young woman had recovered so quickly. She didn't think Finn's heart could take any delay. Her friend had stood sentry by Rose's side during her entire recovery. He had fussed and made such a nuisance of himself, that at one point the doctors had to kick him out of the room.

"I am angry too," responded Poe. "But the fact of the matter is that we are out of munitions, supplies and we don't have the numbers to bring down the First Order."

Twenty-three, Rey thought. That was all that was left of a once thriving Rebellion. It was incredulous to think that they had gone from the height of victory when they had destroyed Starkiller Base and now the rebellion was all but snuffed out.

The Rebellion had suffered devastating losses but so had the First Order. Snoke was dead and it would take time for Kylo to solidify his position. Rey raised her voice above the crowd. Demanding to be heard.

"I agree with Leia. We should use this time to go to the rebel leaders in the outer rim and convince them to support us in person. The First Order will need time to reform around Kylo Ren. Besides, if we all stay together we make a much easier target. It would be safer if we split up into smaller groups."

"I agree," said Poe. "There are seven possible cells for us to cover, if we break up into groups of 3, we will have just enough pilots for each group."

"Our host have agreed to provide us with ships and a safe haven whenever we need it," spoke Leia. "However, Kylo Ren is aware of our connection to this place and I do not wish to endanger them by staying here any longer than absolutely necessary. This morning, Poe and I debated at length about where our new base of operations should be. After lengthy debate, the best possible option would be to return to Crait."

"What?" Shouted Finn, rising to his feet again. "You want to go back to that death trap?"

"By the time we finish meeting with the other rebel leaders, the First Order will have completed their salvage efforts of Snoke's ship and left the system. The enemy will complete a thorough search the base and recognize how depleted it's resources are. They will not believe that we would be so foolish to go back," Leia explained.

"Because it is a crazy idea," countered Finn.

"It may be crazy, but crazy might be our only option right now," stated Poe.

The rest of the afternoon was spent hammering out the final details of the plan. After the discussion had died down, Rey excused herself from the group. She needed time to study from the Jedi books and practice her powers. After her last interaction with Kylo Ren, she was sure that she would need the training.

….

Rey had found a quiet spot outdoors to train. She had started with physical exercises to work out the tension and anxiety that rolled through her body. Without the lightsaber, she returned to her staff. To be honest, it felt more comfortable in her hand. After years of using a staff to defend herself on Jakku, the staff felt like a part of her body. She considered her weapon and the two broken pieces of kyper crystals that remained from Luke's old lightsaber. Her staff would not last a second in a fight against a lightsaber. There had to be something in the old texts about constructing a saber. Perhaps she could modify the design to be more of a saber staff.

After she had exhausted herself physically, she sat down in a shaded grove and started to read from the texts. She ate a few pieces of fruit and drank from her water canteen as she read. She didn't know what she was expecting but it wasn't this.

The books were certainly not "how to" manuals. They were steeped in the philosophy surrounding the force. Rey felt her eyes begin to droop when a familiar voice called out to her.

"Rey," Finn called. He strode to her at a quick pace. His long legs eating up the distance between them. Reaching her, Finn sat down across from her and crossed his legs. From the serious expression on his face, it was clear he had something on his mind.

"Rey, I think that you should leave the rebellion."

At her shocked expression, Finn raised his arms in defense before continuing.

"Listen to me. We all have targets on our backs right now, but I know more about Kylo Ren than you do. Given what you told me about your connection and what happened with Snoke, I think it would be safest for you to distance yourself from all of this. At least for the time being."

Rey opened her mouth to protest but Finn cut her off before she could say anything.

"Ren wasn't a part of the regular hierarchy of the First Order. He was Snoke's right hand. The guy that Snoke would send out whenever he needed something really bad done. Kylo Ren was feared even by the First Order leadership. He wasn't right, wasn't stable and if he is fixated on you, the best thing would be to keep clear of him. If you stay in the rebellion that won't happen."

Whatever anger, Rey had been feeling at Finn's first assertion drained away. It was clear that her friend's words were motivated by a deep concern for her. It meant the world to her that he cared so much.

"Believe me, I don't want to run into Kylo Ren anytime soon, but I can't just leave. Everyone that I care about is a part of this rebellion."

Finn's mouth thinned in displeasure. Rey knew that he would continue to argue if she didn't change the subject soon.

"So, you and Rose?"

Finn's countenance changed in an instant. His ducked his chin and blushed. When he looked up at Rey again he saw that she was smiling.

"Rose and I got close on our mission," he explained. "I told you how she saved me on Crait, but what I didn't tell you was that she kissed me."

Finn sounded like he was almost apologizing to her. Like he had somehow betrayed her by kissing Rose. Rey wanted to dispel that notion instantly.

"She kissed you," Rey smirked. "Did you kiss her back?"

At her teasing tone, Finn blushed even harder.

"I was just so shocked that it happened, and then she blacked out…."

"Finn, it is okay to want some happiness for yourself. If you like her, you should pursue it. Stars know, knows you deserve to be loved."

Finn looked like he didn't know what to say to that. The conversation had clearly left him flustered.

"Right," he said, abruptly changing the conversation. "I don't know about you, but I am starving. Care to join me and the others for lunch?"

He rose and held out his hand to her. She grasped it and allowed him to help pull her up.

"I'll join you shortly. I just want to return these books to my chambers and take a quick shower before eating."

"Yeah," Finn said. He playfully leaned over and gave her a sniff. "That is probably a good idea. If you came in smelling like that, you might cause everyone to lose their lunch."

Rey laughed in response. Happy that her easy and carefree relationship with Finn had been restored.


	9. Chapter 8

Chapter Eight

Kylo wished that he had the ability to control the bond he shared with the scavenger. Everything would be so much simpler if he could manipulate the bond at will. Although, in times like this he was not complaining.

This time, when the force had connected them, Rey had been the one to be partially undressed. When he felt the connection snap into place he was unprepared for the sight before him. Rey had just finished pulling her top over her head. Clearly preparing for a shower.

The beautiful expanse of her back was exposed, revealing creamy skin that practically begged to be touched. Her hair was completely unbound, and it fell in fetching waves against her neck as she pulled the top over her head.

Kylo was stunned. His anger at her momentarily forgotten. But as he spied a long scar that ran from the bottom of her left hip straight up to her right shoulder, his anger returned in full force. He knew the kind of instrument that would leave a mark like that, a whip.

"Who gave you that scar?" His voice was thick with anger.

Rey shrieked in surprise and clutched her top to her chest before turning around to face him.

"Get out of here," she demanded. A blush stained her cheeks. She was clearly embarrassed, but she met his gaze full on.

"Who gave you that scar?" Kylo repeated, his voice even firmer this time. He would like to use a force compulsion on her, but he knew that it was useless.

"That is none of your business," she replied. "At least turn around and give me some privacy while I put my top back on."

Kylo waited a moment before responding. The air grew heavy in anticipation. Deliberately, he took a step closer to her. He didn't break eye contact with her as he replied, "No, I don't think that I will."

Rey's chin shot up in defiance and she clutched her top tighter to her.

"Fair is fair, scavenger. You saw me undressed." His voice was velvet over gravel. Deep and resonant.

Rey blushed all the harder at the memory and she finally looked away.

"This is ridiculous," she huffed. "Fine, if you won't turn around, I will."

Kylo stopped just inches away from her. His eyes scanning her every inch of her body. Soaking in the sight of her. Slowly, he raised his hand as if to touch her. Rey's breath caught in her throat and she stilled. Kylo's fingertips hovered just millimeters above her skin. He could feel the heat of it, even through the bond.

Taking a step back, he let his arm drop. This scavenger had betrayed him. She was nothing, just some Jakku scum. Unworthy of the attention he bestowed upon her. He could not allow himself to feel anything for her other than contempt and anger. What did he care if someone had hurt her. He was planning to hurt her. Had dreamed of scenarios where she was on her knees before him, begging him to stop.

Clenching his fist. He turned around and walked away from her.

"I meant what I said," he taunted. "You should cherish this time. It is your last moments of freedom."

Her back stiffened but she didn't respond. The connection severed and Kylo found himself alone again.

….

Kylo's hand gripped into a tight fist. His mind constantly pulled back to the memory of the almost touch between himself and the scavenger. It was days later and still he was haunted by the sight of her bare skin and the heat that emanated from her flesh. Would the Force have allowed them to physically connect again?

Forcefully pulling his mind back to the meeting at hand, he nodded his assent for the Vice Admiral to continue. The transition was going better than he had hoped. Already star systems that had previously resisted the First Order were willing to meet for negotiations on a cease fire. Giving people the illusion of a choice made their subjugation so easy. The Emperor and Snoke were fools for doing any differently.

The purge within the First Order ranks had also gone smoothly, thus far. He shouldn't be surprised. The people that were drawn to the First Order craved a strong leader. Wanted someone to tell them what was right and what to do. The need for rules, and respect for hierarchy were paramount in their minds.

It helped that Snoke had modeled Kylo Ren's place within the First Order on Vader's within the Empire. A figure outside of the traditional hierarchy with the power to supersede any general or commander, even on their own ship. Few within the order had actually encountered him for prolonged periods of time. However, his fearsome reputation and ruthlessness were well known. As was the high trust Snoke had placed in him. Kylo smirked at that thought. Snoke had trusted him right up until the point that the saber had severed his spine. The expression of shock on the old man's face a memory he would cherish for a long time.

After issuing his commands he dismissed the assembled party. Only moments later, Vars Ren entered the room. Dropping to a knee, Vars waited to be acknowledged before speaking.

"My lord, I have brought you someone with insights into the female force user."

"A friend," he queried?

"I doubt that she would call him that," Vars replied cryptically.

Intrigued, Kylo rose and directed his knight to lead the way. As they walked through the corridors to the interrogation center, Kylo could feel the fear of the individual trapped inside. Whoever it was, they were terrified.

Like all dark side users, Kylo feed off fear. It rolled through his body and enhanced his powers. Entering the cell, the prisoner's terror spiked when he saw them. Kylo used the Force to push the man's head back and hold his eyelids open. The hulking Crolute was disgusting. Unwashed clothing hung in tatters around the man's girth. Blood mixed with saliva and who knows what other filth clung to the creature. It was obvious that Vars had brutalized him before bringing him in.

"You are familiar with the scavenger known as Rey." It was a statement, not a question.

The man visibly swallowed before replying, "yes."

Something about the man was familiar. Not from Kylo's memories, but from hers. This man had played a significant role in Rey's life. The memories that she had of this man were tinged in resentment, fear and hatred. Yes, she clearly had strong feelings about this creature.

"I will tell you whatever you want to know. The bitch means nothing to me. She stole my ship and flew off. I haven't seen her since."

The man's reply came out in a stuttering rush. Clearly willing to sell out anyone to save his own skin. The prisoner's words should have pleased him but Kylo found himself feeling nothing but anger. He used the Force to tighten his grip on the prisoner's windpipe. Slowly tightening until the man could barely breath. He needed him alive but only for a little while longer.

"Your words are not necessary," Kylo replied coolly.

Using the Force, Kylo ripped through the prisoner's memories. Unkar Plutt, that was his name. This creature had known Rey for a long, long time. Since she was a child. He was the man that bought Rey from her scum parents.

Plutt screamed as Kylo tore through his mind. He could no longer form coherent words; the pain was too strong. Kylo relished the sound. Relished this man's pain. Plutt had been the source of so much pain in Rey's life. Forcing her to work and keeping her near starvation so that she would always be too weak to leave.

Plutt had delighted in finding a child that was so tiny that she could fit into spaces otherwise inaccessible to other scavengers. Often sending her into fallen Imperial ships that had already been carved out by others. The remains dangerously unstable from the previous scavenging. Sometimes, Plutt would even send her into a ship that he knew had nothing of value in it just so he could punish her when she returned emptyhanded. This man was a monster, and Kylo knew monsters.

Probing deeper, Kylo ravaged every memory the man had of Rey. Saw her grow. Saw her defiant spirit remain resolute in the face of every deprivation and degradation. One memory gave him pause. This man did not carve the mark into Rey's back, but he was responsible for it.

Rey looked like she was just 10 or 11 in the memory. Just a gangly child with a dirty face and unkempt hair. Still one of Plutt's regular buyers, Renken Dorrien, caught sight of the girl and decided that he would like to use her for more than just scavenging. Plutt didn't even hesitate before making the deal. No, he had been pleased. Plutt thought that it would be many more years before he could start making money off Rey's flesh. Why wait? Especially when the price was so good.

Plutt reconsidered his opinion when he heard Renken scream. Leaving his booth, Plutt saw Renken stumble out of the hut that he had taken Rey into, clutching his face. Rey darted out after Renken and took off running. She fled to the desert without looking back.

Renken continued to holler. It was disturbing Plutt's other customers. Walking up to the man, Plutt saw that he was missing an eye.

"Thought you liked the feisty ones," mocked Plutt.

"Fucking bitch took my eye. You are going to fucking compensate me for it and give me my money back."

"Give you your money back?" Plutt was incredulous.

Glaring up at him with his remaining eye, Renken replied. "Yes, you are going to give me my fucking money back. I didn't get what I paid for. The little bitch only took one lash before attacking me. You need to train you whore better. And I want it all back, including the extra I paid because she is a virgin. Fucking virgin my ass. No virgin attacks like that."

Kylo pulled out of the memory. Plutt's chief concern during that interaction was to get out of issuing a refund. Plutt didn't care that he had sold a child to a predator. Didn't care how badly she had been injured by the encounter. Nothing mattered, as long as she could still earn for him.

Kylo stopped squeezing on the creature's neck. That kind of death was too good for him. Instead he shifted his focus. Kylo began using the force to squeeze the man's brain and other vital organs. He inflicted enough damage to maximize Plutt's suffering without killing him. No, Plutt would take a long-time die, he would make sure of it.

Plutt's screams were deafening. Blood started to leak from his eyes, ears, nose, mouth and every other opening on his body. When he finally passed out, Kylo turned to Vars.

"Have him treated enough so that he will live."

Bowing his head, Vars replied that it would be done.

"Alert me when he regains consciousness, I will handle this personally. And get me information on a dealer of old Imperial technology called Renken Dorrien."


	10. Chapter 9

Chapter Nine

The Rebels dispersed to meet with the leadership on the Outer Rim. It had been days of radio silence and the tension was beginning to mount for Rey. Somehow Leia had convinced Rey to remain on Kashyyyk with her and Chewie.

"With Luke gone, you are our only Force wielder. The best way for you to serve the Rebellion is to hone your powers."

"I am not the only one that can use the Force," Rey replied.

"That was never really an option for me," Leia countered.

"I don't see why. You and Master Luke have the same abilities. You have the potential to be the greatest Force wielder in the galaxy and yet you refuse to even try. The doesn't seem like you, Leia. What is holding you back?"

A troubled look passed over Leia's face. She turned away from Rey and took a long moment before replying.

"The truth is that I hate that the Force is part of me. It reminds me of Vader, my biological father. I know that Luke said that Vader changed in the end, that he came back to the Light, but I never knew that man. The man that I knew was a monster and even if I had met him, I don't think that choosing to do the right thing after a lifetime of bloodshed excuses past actions."

Rey remained silent as Leia continued.

"I loved my son. A part of me always will. But if I could have spared him from the Skywalker legacy, from this burden, I would have."

Before Rey could reply, Leia's personal communicator chirped. It was Poe. Calling in to report from the Outer Rim.

"General, are you there?"

"I am Poe. Go ahead."

"General, the reports that we heard on Kashyyyk are correct. The First Order has made contact with Rebel leadership in the Outer Rim. In fact, the First Order has contacted all the major systems and is calling for a conclave to discuss a return of the Galactic Senate."

Rey felt like the rug had been pulled out from under her. This made no sense. Why would Kylo try to reinstate the Senate? It had to be a trick, right?

Leia's expression mirrored how Rey felt. "What is your take Poe? Do you believe that the First Order is sincere or is this a trick to luring us out into the open?"

"The leadership out here seems to think they are sincere. I am not so sure. Why would they change course after attacking us on Crait? It has to be a trick, right?"

Leia considered Poe's words for a moment before replying. "Be on your guard and tell the others the same. No in person meetings with anyone outside of our cell. We can't trust that this isn't a trap to take us out one by one. The First Order knows that our numbers are depleted and that we need allies for the rebellion to succeed. As much as I would celebrate a return to democracy, I think we need to stay back until we know more."

"I agree and will spread the word to the others. Stay safe."

Rey spoke the words that had seemed to hang in the air. "What if this is true?"

Leia looked up at her, an unreadable expression on her face.

"We can't know that for certain and there are too few of us to risk trying to find out directly. We need to wait until we know more."

"But if it is true, this would be what the rebellion has fought for. A return to democracy, to give voice to the people." Rey's voice became stronger as she spoke. Excitement building in her tone.

"Waiting is the safest course of action."

The finality in Leia's tone stopped Rey short. She could see that the General was not in the mood to entertain further conversation.

….

Later that evening, while Rey was alone in her room, she allowed her thoughts to return to the events in Snoke's throne room.

Had she been too hasty? Was this what Kylo had planned all along? Doubts plagued her mind. At the time, she didn't feel like there was any time to hesitate. When Kylo had not instantly called off the attack she knew that she had to do whatever she could to help her friends. There was not time to argue with him. So few ships were left.

Still, what if she had talked to him instead of going for the saber? Would he have relented? How many more of the rebels would have perished if they had stopped to talk? Would it have been more or less than the number lost during the battle at Crait?

There was simply no way to know. What was done was done. They all had to live with the consequences of their actions.

Still, he had looked up at her with such wounded longing. In many ways, Kylo Ren was still a child. Snoke had been manipulating him for so long it was no wonder his first reaction was to lash out. She had been in Kylo's mind, he was sincere in the belief that his family had turned on him. He felt unwanted and shunned before the events at the Jedi Academy but when he woke to see his Uncle standing over him poised to strike, he truly felt like his family wanted him dead. His hopes to one day be accepted and embraced by his family died a harsh death that night. With no one else to turn to, was it any wonder he chose Snoke. What choices did an 11-year-old boy really have…?

Rey was frustrated with the way her mind kept circling the issue. Was Kylo the victim or the monster? Strong cases could be made for both sides. Maybe that was the problem, she mused. Everyone keeps trying to make this a black and white issue. But life was rarely so simplistic.

Could she risk reaching out to him? Rey certainly felt tempted. She had never actively used her powers to try to make contact with him. She wanted to speak to him directly. To ask him what he was doing and if he was sincere about reinstating the senate.

Unsettled, her mind drifted back to their last few Force interactions. There was very little in those moments that would lead her to believe that he wanted piece. Darkness seemed to permeate his entire being. He had approached her with a dark malevolence. Something that had been missing from all their previous interactions. Even on Takodonna, she didn't feel the kind of barely restrained violence in him she felt in him now.

Something had shifted in him. And whatever it was, it didn't seem to go along with someone that was interested in peace. Sighing, Rey had to admit that Leia was right. The best thing to do was to wait.

She didn't like waiting. At least she had found a description for building a lightsaber in the Jedi texts. Working with her hands always helped clear her mind. If she was stuck here, the least she could do was try to rebuild the saber. She had a feeling that she would need it, if she ever saw Kylo again.


	11. Chapter 10

Chapter Ten

Poe could feel himself grow more and more agitated. Just a few days ago, he would have used that agitation to lash out, to force a confrontation. Taking a deep breath, he mentally resigned himself to listen to Gala Vash without interrupting.

Gala Vash was one of the most respected rebel leaders in the outer rim. He had fought during the first war against the Empire and had dedicated his life after the war to rebuilding his home planet of Lorth in the aftermath of the devastation.

Still, that didn't make Poe like the man. The evidence of the First Orders tyranny was undisputed. Tyrants did not give up their power. Gala Vash should know this but the man was resolute in his belief that the rebellion should hear the First Order's terms.

"The moment we stop trying for peace, is the moment that we become the oppressors."

"Colonel, I respectfully disagree. You are letting your desire for peace blind you from seeing what the First Order really is. There can be no peace with tyrants and if you had been on Crait you would know that."

The accusation hung in the air. Poe couldn't help himself. These people were supposed to be on their side but when push came to shove, the rebels from the outer rim had abandoned them. That was bad enough in Poe's mind, but to compound the injury by sitting down the enemy was untenable.

After a long moment of tense silence, Gala Vash drew himself up. Fixing Poe with a direct stare, Gala Vash's voice was resolute in his response.

"Democracy gives everyone a voice, not just those whose voices you want to hear. The First Order rose because we ignored the voices from those systems who were unhappy with the actions or rather lack of actions by the Galactic Senate."

Poe opened his mouth to respond but Gala Vash cut him off.

"We romanticize the senate and the republic before it. However, it was the failing of those institutions that allowed the Empire and the First Order to form and to flourish. Too often, those vaulted leaders of the past allowed inaction to rule the day and many people and systems suffered for it. Entire worlds were allowed to languish in slavery while senators debated. The Trade Federation starved entire populations to the brink of genocide and no one acted or acted too late. No, if we do not learn from our own failings, we will be doomed to forever repeat this cycle. The only real way forward is together."

Lips tightening into a thin line, Poe stared back at the man with a mixture of anger and frustration. "You speak of the genocides of the past but fail to bring up the holocaust that just happened. The First Order destroyed an entire system to eliminate the Senate. What reason would they have for rebuilding something that they just obliterated?"

Gala Vash remained unmoved as he countered. "I forget nothing. It is undeniable the atrocities that have been committed by the First Order. But you yourself have said that Snoke is dead. We also know that the vast majority of people belonging to the First Order have been kept in the dark about the crimes their organization has committed. The stormtrooper that left their ranks and joined us has given extensive testimony to the lengths that the First Order leadership goes to brainwash their followers. If there is a chance to peacefully resolve this conflict, we must try. No matter how unlikely or distasteful it may be."

Rising from his chair, Poe could barely contain his anger. "Fine, but I want to be there when the envoy arrives. I want to look them in the eye and judge their words for myself."

"That is your right. I would not bare you from the meeting, however, I will remove you if you in anyway sabotage this chance."

Poe didn't bother to respond. He turned and left the room. The old man was a fool, he thought. A fool that would get them all killed.

…

Doubt and confusion edged into the corners of Kylo's mind. The emotions were not his, he recognized. The Force bond was becoming stronger. Now he could feel Rey's presence in the periphery of his mind at all times. He allowed himself a small smile of satisfaction. Her self-righteousness had diminished and now doubt ruled her mind.

She was blocking him, he knew. When he tried to explore the link, it was like his mind ran up against a wall. He could get a sense of the wall, feel the shape of it. Taste the flavor of her, but he could not see inside. At least not yet.

Kylo had not been able to learn much more about the nature of Force bonds. Even the old records from the Empire did not have much information on the phenomenon. Would the bond eventually allow him to locate her? Right now, he could only tell that she was far away from him.

When the bond solidified and allowed them to see each other, he still could not see her surroundings. However, with each vision, he felt more and more like he was there with her. He could even tell what kind of environment she was in.

Kylo knew he had only to be patient. She would eventually be in his reach. When that happened, she would not escape again. She would never be allowed to part from him. He still fumed, thinking about how she had ran away following their confrontation in Snoke's throne room. Coward.

Pulling his mind into the present, he addressed the assembled Knights of Ren. "The formation of our new government is well underway. To help it along, we need to sow disorder in the galaxy. Remind people why a strong hand is always needed. You three are tasked with creating chaos. A subtle approach is required. I want no direct action from any of you. Influence and motivate the populations to turn on each other."

The assembled Knights bowed in unison before leaving. Soon, he promised himself. Soon he would be able to focus his attention on hunting the scavenger down. This delay would only sweeten his satisfaction when he caught her.


	12. Chapter 11

Chapter Eleven

Bad luck continued to haunt Finn and Rose. It felt like they could not catch a break since Canto Bight. First the rebel leaders from the outer rim had refused to meet with them and now they were cut off from their ship.

The population erupted into chaos. Finn didn't know who the enemy was or why people were fighting. He could feel the simmering tension in the air as soon as they landed. It felt like the entire world was waiting for something to happen. Now, they were fighting just to return to their ship.

"Can you see the hanger?" Rose had to shout for him to hear her, even though they were standing right next to each other. They had taken refuge in a narrow alley.

"We still have three blocks to go," Finn replied.

Three blocks might not sound like a lot, but it might as well be half a system away. The entire way was blocked by fighting and looting.

"There is no way we can make it on the street." Looking around Rose's gaze settled on the roof line. "I think we need to use the rooftops."

"I think you are right," Finn replied.

Looking around, they spied a clothing line that become disconnected from one rooftop. Tugging on the line to test its hold, Finn started climbing first. He reached the rooftop quickly and turned to reach an arm down to Rose. She was struggling but once she got within reach, he hauled her up.

Keeping low, they surveyed their surroundings. It didn't seem possible, but it looked even worse from up here. Fires had broken out in some parts of the city. Smoke billowed in the air, obscuring the skyline. There didn't seem to be any clear sides to the fight. Everyone was fighting everyone. If people weren't fighting each other, they were looting the nearby businesses or just destroying property.

"Any idea what caused this?"

Rose shock her head in response. "No idea. I didn't think a region could destabilize so fast."

"We need to get out of here and report back to Leia. Hopefully, this is just an isolated incidence." Even as Finn spoke, he knew it was probably wrong. Why would this place fall into chaos and not another? It was hard to believe that this could happen so quickly after the First Order withdrew from the system. Surely, the local government was strong enough to prevent this from happening. However, the proof that it wasn't was all around him.

"I think we should be able to make it to the hanger. All of the buildings look pretty close together."

Finn and Rose kept low as they ran across the rooftops. All around them the sounds of pandemonium roared. Someone had taken up a sniper position and was now shooting indiscriminately down into the crowd. Finn wanted to stop and help but there was just no way. The best they could do was get off world and report back to command. Two people couldn't stop all of this.

As they neared the hanger, Finn had a moment of hope. They were going to make it. Almost immediately after thinking those words, the entire hanger blew up. The blast was so strong, it threw them both back across the entire rooftop.

Ears ringing, Finn unsteadily got up. He checked on Rose and saw that she too was only disoriented. They were lucky. They could have been in the hanger.

"We need to get out of here," Rose stated. Her expression was grim.

"Where?"

"We need to get out of town. We'll lie low somewhere in the country and try to reestablish communications with command."

It sounded like a good plan, but Finn feared it was easier said than done. Keeping to the rooftops. They started heading in the opposite direction. They followed the rooftops for as long as they could. Eventually they could go no farther. Several buildings had been reduced to rubble. With no other options, they were forced to climb down. Finn shimmyed down a drainpipe first and then turned to help Rose down.

They crouched low and cautiously peered around the corner. Fight still raged on but it wasn't as intense in this part of the city. Taking a deep breath, they headed out.

…..

"Any word from Finn and Rose?"

Rey had been anxious ever since they had received word that the Hartarian system had fallen into bedlam.

The grim expression on Leia's face told Rey what she needed to know.

"I am going to get them," Rey stated.

She turned to leave. Their group had already lost several members to the chaos that was spreading throughout the galaxy. She wasn't going to stand by and let anything happen to Finn.

"Rey, I don't think that is a good idea."

Rey looked back at Leia. Utter confusion and disbelief written on her features. "What? Why?"

"Rey, I know how hard it is, but we need to be smart. Finn and Rose are intelligent and well trained. They will find someplace to lie low. It is far riskier to try to get them than it is to stay and wait this out. The First Order and every bounty hunter in the galaxy will be looking for the Falcon."

"Do you think that I care about any of that?" Rey's voice got louder the longer that she spoke. "We can't count on the fact that Rey and Finn will stay safe for long. The entire system has fallen into chaos. How long before some lunatic gets their hands on some heavy arsenal and major damage starts taking place?"

"Rey, please," Leia begged. "At least give it a few days to calm down. Have enough faith in your friends to at least wait."

Rey didn't like the implication that Leia was trying to force on her. Of course, she had faith in her friends but that didn't mean she wasn't going to rush to help them. She could not stand by while the people she cared for were in danger.

Steeling her resolve, Rey straightened her spine before replying. "I am not going to wait."

"Rey, you will remain here. That is an order."

"Lucky for me, I am not one of your soldiers." With that, Rey turned and left the room. She would find Finn and Rose. Find them and bring them home. Wherever home was.


	13. Chapter 12

Chapter Twelve

"My Lord, the original systems that supported the old Galactic Empire have already called for the First Order to lead the new government and over one quarter of the previously resistant systems have also requested our aid in quelling fighting that has broken out in recent weeks."

The Lieutenant that delivered the message was young and eager. He could barely contain his glee as he spoke. It amused Kylo that so many of the original detractors within the First Order were now so supportive of his strategy they were practically taking credit for it themselves.

Still, he paused. This was not the time to grow overconfident. Many systems still looked on the First Order with hate and fear. It was time to give those systems a reason to believe that the First Order had changed. It was time for the trial.

…

Poe could not believe it. Would not believe it. There was no way that this was not a trap and like all the deadliest traps, the trigger would remain hidden until it was too late.

Every screen in the cantina showed the same message. High ranking First Order leadership, including General Hux, were being but on trial for crimes against life and civilization. Damning internal documents had been leaked about the atrocities committed by the First Order. Their sins were laid bare to the universe. This should have made Poe happy. Instead, with every new revelation, he only grew more suspicious.

The truly baffling part was that the arrests and leaks had all come from within the Order itself. Whistleblowers had broken ranks and come forward with what they knew. The evidence was enough to ensure Hux and all the other monsters were condemned.

The First Order had even suspended all active operations until the trial had concluded. Again, Poe should have been happy, but he was dismayed to see how many other people in the system disagreed with that decision.

Indeed, there was even a motion within the current Galactic Senate to reinstate the First Order as a peacekeeping force. Poe snorted at the thought. As if those butchers knew anything about peace.

In the weeks and months following Snoke's death and the battle on Crait, fighting and civil unrest had broken out in nearly every system. Food shortages had soon followed and if there was one thing to incite fighting it was when people went hungry. Even former peaceful planets were succumbing.

The First Order had made a very public showing of delivering food and medical supplies to the areas most impacted by the chaos. Too public in Poe's mind. There had to be an end game here, Poe just couldn't see it.

The news of the trial had made working with Gala Vash all the more difficult. For a seasoned leader of the Rebellion, the man was entire too willing to listen to these reports with favor. Couldn't the man see propaganda for what it was?

Still, Poe had to concede. The First Order had aided systems with food and medical supplies. Everyone who set out from the Wookie home world reported the same thing. That the First Order was actually helping. It had to be a trap. Poe ran his fingers through his hair in frustration and downed the remainder of his drink.

Poe needed to get back. First Order representatives were meeting with Gala Vash shortly and he did not want to miss it. He knew that Leia had ordered no direct contact with the First Order, but he couldn't stay away. He needed to look these liars in the eye. Maybe then he could figure out what their end game was.

Paying his bar tab, Poe got up and started heading back. It would be a good idea to meet with Gala Vash before the First Order came in. He could try, once again, to convince the man that the First Order could not be trusted. That any aid they provided was fruit of the poison tree.

…

Gala Vash did not feel the same way. There were massive food shortages in this system and the rebellion was trying to do all that they could to help. However, they were ill equipped after the First Order blew up most of their ships when Starkiller base destroyed the Hosnian system.

Poe was tired of getting the run around. He reminded himself that he needed to stay calm. The rebellion couldn't afford to be divided. Divided they would not stand a chance.

It was everything that Poe could do not to react when the representatives from the First Order came into the room. Both officers were young. No more than 25 cycles, if Poe had to guess. Both had open expressions and an air of intelligence about them. They couldn't be more perfect for a peace talk if they had been cast. They probably had, Poe thought.

"Gala Vash, thank you so much for meeting with us."

The first to speak was a female commander. Her voice was humble and full of self-recrimination. It grated Poe's ears.

"Trust is difficult to rebuild after it has been broken so completely," she continued.

"Broken by the First Order," Poe cut in sharply.

Gala Vash gave Poe a scathing look. Before he could reply the female commander responded to Poe's jibe.

"You are right to feel that way. The First Order has violated the trust of the Galaxy and the people that we swore to protect. I know that my words can't make up for the atrocities committed by our organization but please know that for the majority of us, we had no idea what was really happening. I joined the First Order because my own system starved after the fall of the Empire. I lost my brother and mother to famine. I wanted to prevent anyone else from feeling my pain."

Poe could see the impact of her words on everyone in the room. They sympathized and empathized with her plight. It infuriated him. How easily they were swayed. A few carefully chosen words and everyone was willing to lay down their arms.

"I am deeply ashamed of what the First Order has done. I never would have joined if I knew. But now I know, and I cannot ignore what was done. I am here today to beg you for the opportunity to make it right. Please, let us help."

The woman radiated sincerity. Poe would almost have bought it if he had not witnessed those atrocities first hand.

"Nice words, but you can understand our skepticism," Poe replied.

Gala Vash again gave Poe a reproachful stare. "What I think my young colleague means to say, is that you are correct. Trust is hard to rebuild after so much hate. The crimes of the First Order cannot be forgiven or forgotten so quickly, if at all."

"I know that you do not know me, and that you have no reason to trust anything that I say. We will submit ourselves to every inspection and supervision you require. Just please, allow us to offer aid."

Tears actually glistened in the woman's eyes. Poe was incredulous. The audacity of this woman to come here and cry like she cared. Like she had a soul.

The last straw for Poe was when her companion reached out and placed a sympathetic hand on the woman's shoulder. Poe snapped. He would not stand here and watch as they made a mockery out of everything the galaxy had suffered.

"You can stop the act now. No one here is buying your bullshit. I give you credit, your acting skills are top notch. Even I almost wanted to believe you, but I know an act when I see one. Pity you didn't use your talents on the stage instead of working for genocidal maniacs."

Gala Vash rose sharply. His chair nearly toppling back. "That is enough! Commander Dameron, your presence is no longer needed at this assembly. You are dismissed."

Poe could only stare back for a moment before his expression hardened and turned to leave.

"Fine," he ground out. "I can't stand the stench in this room anyway."

The door closed behind him as soon as he left. Cutting him off from any further contact. Poe knew he had been played. He needed to contact Leia. Something had to be done and done soon. The rebellion couldn't afford to have their members seduced by this act. The First Order was up to something. He just didn't know what.


	14. Chapter 13

Chapter Thirteen

The flight to get Poe and Rose was uneventful. Most trips through hyperspace were. At least they had been before the First Order developed that infernal tracking technology.

Chewie handled most of the flying by himself. That left Rey bored with little to do but think on all that had happened. She didn't like they way she had left things with Leia. Rey knew that the older woman was just looking out for her, but she couldn't stand by. If something happened to Finn, she would never forgive herself.

Bored and needing to distract herself, Rey worked on her lightsaber modifications. She thought that with the crystal broken in two, she could fashion a saber staff. She had learned all she could from the old texts, but the infernal thing didn't always work. The balance and weight of the staff felt reassuringly familiar. She felt much more comfortable with this design than she had with the original saber.

The problem came when she tried to activate it. Sometimes, it worked perfectly. The blue blade erupted from both ends in perfect sync. Other times, the flame refused to spark at all. The staff would hum in her hand but nothing else happened. The worst, at least in her estimation, was when the blade erupted in a jagged and barley contained stream. It reminded her too much of another blade. One that burned red instead of blue.

Rey didn't know what was wrong with it. It was frustrating, but it gave her something to do and she was grateful that it kept her mind occupied. Besides, when it was finished it would be a marvel. She wondered if any Jedi had ever tried this design.

She had envisioned a staff that could also break apart into two smaller sabers. Allowing her the versatility to adjust her fighting style to whatever was needed most. She imagined that there would be times when dual wielding sabers would come in handy. At least, it would if she could ever get the blasted thing to work properly.

She was relieved when Chewie announced they had arrived. Setting down the saber staff, she arrived in the cockpit just as they were coming out of lightspeed. It was eerie to see so few lights illuminating the planet. This planet had once been a thriving center of trade. Now only the lights from a few city centers could be seen. The sight filled Rey with dread.

Chewie seemed to share her feelings.

"I know Chewie. I don't have a good feeling about this either."

…..

Torrential rain met Rey and Chewie as they landed the Falcon. It was supposed to be midday, but it looked like the middle of the night. They landed in a sparsely populated portion of the planet because they couldn't risk having the ship losing the ship in the fighting or to looters.

Finn's last communication had not included any information on where they might be headed. Rey knew the location of the last city that they were in but didn't want to risk coming any closer until they had a better idea of where the duo went.

Rey hoped that when they landed they would be able to re-establish communications. No such luck.

It didn't leave Rey and Chewie with a lot of options. They debated about the best course of action but there were no good options until the rain stopped.

Flash flooding was a real concern and Rey didn't like sitting around. They had disobeyed a direct order from Leia and flew across half the galaxy to find their friends. Now, they were on the same planet, but still no closer to finding them. Both Finn and Rose were resourceful and smart, so she had confidence that they found somewhere to shelter but no one's abilities could keep them safe forever. Not in a world that had fallen so far into anarchy.

Chaos seemed to be spreading across the entire universe. Once peaceful planets that had even avoided conflict during the Clone Wars had been consumed. Nowhere seemed immune.

The reports of the atrocities committed by the First Order and the impending trial rocked the galaxy. However, the reports were no longer just about the First Order. While the numbers were far less, some reports had started to emerge about civilians killed by Rebel Forces. The specter of Saw Gerrera had emerged once again. Rey knew that there could be no comparison between the First Order and the Rebellion, but the news had left many people feeling like they had no one to trust. That everyone was a villain in disguise.

Feeling frustrated Rey paced around the Falcon. There had to be something she could do to help locate Finn and Rose. Without a lot of options available to her, Rey did the only thing that she could, she would try to reach out to them with the Force.

Rey had never attempted to locate someone via the Force before. She could still feel the connection to Kylo Ren but that was different. They shared a bond that was extremely rare. Not one to vacillate when she made a decision, Rey sat down and cleared her mind. She reached out just like Master Luke had instructed during that first lesson on Ahch-To.

Her senses immediately flooded with sensation. It was overwhelming at first, the sheer cacophony of sensations. It felt like the entire planet and everything on it was shouting at her. She wasn't prepared for it. Ahch-To had been a small peaceful planet with limited life in comparison to this world. The planet that they were on was significantly larger and with a greater population. It was also in chaos. Rey felt the pull to fall into that abyss. And with the pull to the dark, she also felt the pull to Kylo.

Feeling him snapped her out of the downward spiral. She wasn't here to find Kylo, she was here for Finn and Rose. She rallied her defenses, slowly reestablishing mental walls to block out all of the unnecessary sensations. Finally, after she felt like she had control, she focused her mind of Finn. Replaying her memories of her friend, she started searching out for a sensation that matched him. She thought of his smile and his courageous heart. Slowly, carefully, she used those memories and feelings as a guide. Visualizing the planet, she imagined sweeping over the surface while holding the memories of Finn. Finally, Rey got a vague sensation of him. Focusing in on it, she felt certain that this presence was her friend.

Relief flooded through her. He was alive. Her concentration finally gave away and the connection severed. Exhausted, Rey fell forward. It had worked. She didn't know Finn's exact location, but she knew that he and Rose were still safe and that they were somewhere due West of here.

Sitting up, Rey wiped her brow. Sweat dotted her brow and she felt physically drained. Rey had grown stronger with the Force but learning new abilities still took it out of her. It was like exercising a new muscle, it only took a little bit to exhaust her at first but the more she practiced the easier that skill became.

As much as she wanted to race out immediately to Finn and Rose, Rey knew that she needed to rest. She needed to be at her best before she set out. There was a lot of danger between her and Finn and she would need to go it alone. It was too dangerous to leave the Falcon unguarded and Chewie was the best choice to stay behind.

Sighing, Rey promised herself that she would set out soon. She just needed to eat and take a short rest. Then she would head out, torrential downpour or not.

….

Kylo instantly stopped his training. He felt her. The scavenger was reaching out with the Force. Kylo knew that she was not searching for him, but it was the first time that he had felt her actively reaching out before.

Kylo knew that he had to act fast, she would put up her mental shield as soon as she felt him probing. He scanned her unguarded mind, looking for clues about her location. A slow smile spread across his mouth. He had her. He knew where she was. The scavenger was on Polk, looking for her friends. Now he just needed to go get her.


	15. Chapter 14

Chapter Fourteen

Rey started out into the rain. Chewie had not been happy about her leaving, but he didn't stop her. The rain was not letting up and it would only become more dangerous the longer they waited. Flash flooding was a real concern.

Rey packed light. Just the bare minimum of food, medical supplies and weapons. She wanted to find Finn and Rose as quickly as possible and get off this planet. The entire galaxy seemed to be on edge and she wanted those that she cared about close to her.

Visibility was incredibly poor. Rey stumbled and slipped constantly on the wet, uneven ground. Having lived so long in the desert, Rey had dreamed of rain but even she had to admit that this was terrible. It was going to take much longer to get to Finn and Rose than she would like.

The area that she had sensed her friends was in a remote mountain region. Chewie had argued that they should fly the Falcon closer but there was no safe place to land. Also, the area was at the epicenter of a fierce lightning storm. The last thing they needed was for the Falcon to sustain damage.

So, Rey set out alone to find her friends. When she had reached out using the force, she could tell that there were other lifeforms in the way. She hopped that she would be able to spot them in time to avoid them. She was not looking for a fight. Stealth was paramount.

With the limited visibility and noise caused by the torrential rain, Rey had to rely on the Force to help her navigate. She reached out with her senses in a tightly controlled manner. Just keeping her readings to her immediate surroundings. She didn't want to be overwhelmed like before.

She had been walking for over an hour before she came to an abrupt halt.

The only path through the area was via a narrow ravine. This place sparked a memory and she had to push down a feeling of dread. Something about this was familiar, like she had been her before. But that was impossible. She had never set foot on this world before today.

Pushing down the feeling of dread, Rey focused her attention on the life forms on either side of the ravine. From the way they were positioned, Rey knew that they were looking to attack anyone that tried to pass.

She kept low and tried to survey her surroundings. It didn't look like going around would be an option. She would have to go through. Rey didn't want to get into a fight. She was just here for her friends. Besides, she wasn't sure she could win this fight. The numbers were not in her favor. There were at least thirty people lying in wait.

Sighing, Rey stood up and unslung her pack. Bargaining was her best option. Strolling forward, she raised both of her hands high in the air and called out "I don't want any trouble."

Even in the dim of the downpour, Rey could hear the malicious chucking. Keeping her chin up and her voice strong, Rey continued to speak.

"I don't have much but what I have is yours for safe passage."

Rey tossed the small bag of provisions in front of her. It landed with a wet thud. One of the group came forward and stopped right in front of the pack. He toed it with his right boot. Clearly weighing the contents. The man kept both hands on his blaster but right now the blaster was not pointed at her. Rey thought that was a good sign.

"If you don't have much, how can you afford to pay the toll?"

More chuckling met his words. Rey glanced around before responding. She was surrounded.

"I will need to travel back this way with two friends. Whatever provisions they have, we will also give to you when we return."

Rey kept her voice strong. She couldn't show weakness to these jackals. Rey knew the type. Scum who would rather take from those that did an honest day's labor than work themselves. Jakku was full of them. Still, they had her surrounded and there were far more of them than she thought she could handle, Force powers or not.

"I'm afraid that just won't do," the man replied with mock regret. "You might have enough for the return trip but that is a separate matter. You definitely don't have enough to pass now."

The man kept his blaster pointed at the ground, but Rey knew that others had her in their sights. She could feel their malice. There smug satisfaction of the violence to come. Keeping her hands in air, Rey remained calm.

"As you can see, I have nothing else." As she spoke she turned in a slow circle. The act may have been interpreted as her demonstrating that she had nothing to hide but really it was to see exactly where all their men were positioned.

"Now, now. Let's not be too hasty. A pretty girl like you always has something to bargain with." The man leered at her as he spoke. His gaze deliberately raking up and down her body.

Rey could feel her lip pull back in distaste. There was no way that she was going to be their plaything.

"No," she replied. "I don't think we will be making those kinds of deals today. You have my offer. Take it or meet your doom."

The leader tilted his head back and laughed. When he spoke, his tone was laced with amusement and the malice.

"That is the funniest thing I have heard all cycle. Keep me amused and we might just let you live after we are done with you."

The man started to raise his blaster at her, but Rey used the Force to rip it out of his hands. The blaster went flying and landed in her outstretched hand. Rey didn't hesitate. She shot the leader first before taking out two more attackers that were standing near him.

Surprise helped her immensely. Everyone stood still in shock at what had happened. Rey used that shock to race forward, further into the ravine. She shot two more as she ran before the she felt a surge from the Force alerting her to danger. She dropped to the ground and rolled to her right. Blaster fire raced through the air right in the area that she had been. Turning around to face her attackers, Rey could see that they had recovered from their earlier shock and were rallying their assault. She fired twice more but only one of her shots met its target. Throwing the blaster down, she reached for her saber and thumbed it on praying it would work.

The bland sprang to life. Its glow casting eerie shadows on the cliff face. The sight of it gave her attackers pause but only for a moment. They began firing at her. Rey was able to block most of the shots, but one got through her defense and grazed her shoulder.

She need to think of something. There was no way she could keep this up. Could she use the Force to pull down some boulders to crush them or at least to separate them? No, that wouldn't work. They needed this pass to get back to the Falcon.

Her attackers kept pressing closer. Rey was running out of time. Rey was about to use the Force to push them back when loud shouting rose from the back of the group. The bandits were being attacked from behind.

Rey hoped that this would give her the chance to escape, but several of their group pursued her. Still it was better than having the entire group after her. Especially since her saber picked now to fizz out. Blasted thing.

Rey continued to run. Evasion was her best bet now. Let two groups hack each other apart. What did she care? Rey just needed to get to Finn.

The second group proved to be deadly efficient. They cut through the looters and would be rapists with ease. Soon, even the those that had continued to attack her were forced to turn and deal with the other group. Rey was grateful for that they showed up. She might actually make it out of this.

Rey felt something wrap around her ankle. One of the attackers had not turned to fight the other group. He kept is focus on her and lashed a rope around her ankle. Rey barely had time to register this before she fell face forward into the mud. Flipping onto her back, Rey tried to untangle her leg from the rope. If the stupid saber had worked, she could just cut through the rope. But no, it had to fail.

This was taking too long. The water and mud made the rope slippery and adrenaline made her hands jittery. She struggled with the knot. Her attacker advanced on her. Running up fast, blaster in hand.

Just as he raised his arm to shoot her, a fiery blade erupted from the man's chest. There was no mistaking that blade. Dread and fear flooded through Rey. It was Kylo Ren.

Rey scrambled back on the wet ground. Trying to put as much distance between them as possible. How was he here? How had he gotten so close without her sensing him? Rey would figure that out later. Right now, she just needed to get away.

Kylo barely acknowledged the man hanging from his blade. His attention was riveted on her. Merely tilting his wrist to the side, the dead man slid to the ground with an ominous thud. Sounds of the battle seemed to fall away. His expression, at first a dark mask of fury, morphed into something even more terrifying. He looked down at her in triumph. Rey had never seen anything more chilling.


	16. Chapter 15

Chapter Fifteen

Anticipation burned through Kylo's veins. Soon the scavenger would be in his grasp. His to punish as he saw fit. And he planned to do a great deal to her.

Unwilling to take any chances, he had called all the Knights of Ren together to assist in her capture. Kylo could tell that some of the members were curious about what they were doing and about what kind of individual would warrant all of them coming together to ensure their capture.

Kylo had remained silent, unwilling to share any details about her. He couldn't explain his reticence, except that he felt a dark possessiveness where she as concerned. She was his and his alone. Soon she would know that.

The flight through hyperspace felt interminably long. Every cell in Kylo's being felt on edge. The anticipation of what was to come making him tense and more taciturn than usual.

His demeanor was fueling the curiosity of his Knights. They were too well trained to question him, but Kylo could feel the questions rolling around in their minds. He pushed aside any distractions and concentrated on the fight to come.

Kylo fully anticipated a fight. The little scavenger had to fiery a personality to accept defeat willingly. If he was being honest, he was looking forward to the conflict. The idea of dominating her, breaking her filled him with tremendous satisfaction.

This was just the first of many defeats that the scavenger would yield to him. And with each defeat, she would know just how wrong she was to betray him. That she had made the worse mistake of her life when she chose the Rebel scum over him.

Thinking of her pleading for them fueled his rage. His right fist clenched audibly with the memory of it. Her big eyes glistening with unshed tears as she beseeched him. For scum she would beg, for scum she would plead and debase herself. Yet when he had offered her all, she had spurned him. Left him for dead in that room while she raced off to save her so-called friends.

Kylo had never humbled himself before anyone before. She was the only person he had ever reached out his hand to. That he had demeaned himself by asking "please." The worst part was, she knew what it cost him to say that to her. He had opened up to her, made himself vulnerable and she spurned him.

Never again, Kylo vowed. Never again would he lower himself. He was above her in every way. He was wrong to elevate her so. She had proven unworthy of it.

Finally, the ship dropped out of lightspeed. He ordered the pilot to make a pass in low orbit. Reaching out through the Force, he began methodically sweeping the planet for her presence. Impatience burning through him to locate her.

Everyone on the ship remained silent. Unwilling to do anything to break his concentration. Kylo knew that he was acting out of character, but he didn't care. All that mattered was securing the girl. And he was so close now. Nothing was going to stand in his way.

Then he felt it, the flair of her powers. Not as strongly as before but it was her, he knew it. Giving quick orders to the pilot, he returned to his men.

"The girl is to be captured unharmed. Use whatever force is necessary but do not permanently damage her. Kill anyone that is with her."

The Knights nodded their assent and then made ready for the fight to come. When the ship landed, Kylo was the first to disembark. The torrential downpour had turned day into night. Even so, Kylo could detect the battle ahead.

The corner of his mouth twitched up. That was his little scavenger. Such a foolish girl to take on so many enemies alone. Still he felt a swell of pride at her bravado. She was not one to run from a fight. No, he reminded himself. She had run from him. Unwilling to accept a true challenge, she had turned away from him every time since that fateful day of the Supremacy. Griping his saber, he strode purposefully forward. She would not get the chance to run today.

Her attackers were nothing more than a band of ragged bandits. Hardly worth the effort. He didn't break stride as he advanced. His Knight took out the filth. His eyes were riveted on the girl before him. She was so close now. She had not spotted him yet. He was purposefully blocking his powers to not alert her to his presence and had ordered his men to do the same.

His anger spiked when he saw her turn to run. Coward, he cursed. He thought he was angry before, that was nothing compared to the rage he felt when one of the brigands caused her to fall and advance down on her. Without conscious thought, he activated the saber and drove it right through the man's heart. The satisfaction Kylo felt from his death only eclipsed by the look of shock on Rey's face.

The sounds of the battle going on behind him faded away. In fact, his entire world narrowed till it was just the two of them. Her expression quickly resolved into panic. She knew why he was here. He had told her. And if there is one thing about him that you could count on, it was that he was serious.

Panic made her motions sloppy. She tried to run but the slippery ground would not cooperate. Still, Kylo waited. He wanted the satisfaction of the chase. He wanted to tease her with escape before crushing her hopes.

Several of his men joined him. Clearly ready to purse. He held up his hand to stop them.

"No, she is mine. Circle around her to prevent her escape but no one else is to touch her."

The Knights instantly reacted to his command. Racing out into the night. Kylo waited one more moment before starting his pursuit. Anticipation vibrated through every cell in his body. He could taste her fear. It was so sweet.

His long legs quickly ate up the ground between them. Launching himself to close the gap, Kylo tackled her to the ground. The scavenger fought like a hell cat. Trying desperately to use anything at her disposal to dislodge herself. Kylo savored her struggle. Using his larger body to pin her to the ground. She was trapped beneath him. He locked both of her wrists in his left hand before slamming them into the ground above her head. Bringing his right hand up, he touched her face with a gentleness that belied the fierceness of his tone.

"Now you are mine little scavenger."

He had leaned close to her to whisper the word directly in her ear. A shiver ran though her body at his words. The dark promise that they held. She only let fear dominate her for a moment and then she turned her face towards his and used her teeth to sink into his neck.

Pain burst through Kylo. Pain and fury. The satisfaction that he felt melting away. She still defied him. Even now, captured without hope for escape, she still refused to yield. Wrenching himself away from her, he used his free hand to grip her jaw, forcing her mouth closed. It was a punishing grip, one that he knew would leave marks on her skin.

He leaned close again, determined to let her know that he was not scared of her, no matter what she did. He met her furious gaze with one of his own. They stayed like that for several moments before he hissed out "just one more sin for you to atone for."

He didn't give her a chance to respond. He sent a strong surge of the Force at her which rendered her unconscious instantly. Pulling her up into his arms he carried her back to his ship. Without looking at his men, or breaking stride, he simply stated "we are done here."

The Knights of Ren filed into the ship behind him. No one spoke. Giving the order to return to Mustafar, Kylo settled into his seat. He cradled the unconscious Rey to him. Refusing to part with her for even a moment. She was finally his.


	17. Chapter 16

Chapter Sixteen

Rey didn't know where she was when she awoke. She was lying on the ground in a strange room that she had never seen before. There were no windows, the only light came from the ceiling far above her. The lights cast a dull illumination over everything. Not that there was much to see. No furniture or objects filled the room. She was utterly alone. The ground and all the walls were made of the same material. It was a dull black in color and had a slight give, kind of like a training mat. Rey could not detect a single seam anywhere.

Unlike Starkiller base and the multitude of ships discarded on Jakku, there was nothing mechanical for her to tinker with. Whatever relay systems that the room held were inaccessible to her. She walked around the edge of the room in frustration.

Rey kept her nails purposefully short. Long nails were a hinderance when scavenging. She still shuddered at the memory of having nails pulled back as she fiddled with the mechanics of a downed Star Destroyer. But now she wished that she had allowed them to grow.

Using the thumb nail on her right hand, she tried to cut through a piece of the strange material on the wall. After considerable effort, she was able to make a shallow incision. To her dismay, it closed almost immediately. The material was solid and seemed capable of correcting any damage she inflicted on it.

Sighing, Rey walked away from the wall and sat down in the middle of the room. There had to be a way out of here, she thought. Hell, she had gotten in somehow. She knew that there was a door hidden somewhere behind one of these walls. She just needed to be patient and when someone came for her, she would learn its location.

She tried not to think about who that person most likely was.

As if conjured by her thoughts, the door appeared with Kylo Ren blocking her escape. They stared at each other in silence for several moments before he spoke.

"How do you like your accommodations?" He gestured around the room as he spoke. His tone was exactly like when they were together in the interrogation room and he told her that she was "his guest."

Rey snorted in derision. "Oh, it is just lovely. May I inquire as to how long my stay will be?"

Rey tried to match his tone but fell short. Her impatience and anger bled into her tone. She needed to get out of here. Finn and Rose needed her. Not to mention Chewie. He would be beside himself when she didn't return.

"Indefinitely," he replied in a nonchalant tone.

"That isn't going to work for me."

Rey rose from the ground as she spoke. Anger radiated through her entire being, making her muscles tense.

"Then fight me for your freedom."

He took two steps closer to her. The door behind him remained open. Rey could spy a long hallway behind him.

"What?"

"I'm serious. If you fight me and win, you can go free. I will even give you a ship."

Rey was taken aback. He sounded so sincere. But none of this made any sense. Why go to all the trouble of capturing her, just to let her go?

Rey shifted her stance as she considered him. His appeared relaxed and self-assured. He was dressed in the same way as he had aboard the Supremacy. Black boots, black pants and black tunic. Everything precise and immaculate except for his hair. His hair had grown since she had last seen him. The dark curls now brushing the tops of his shoulders in disarray. Like he had only run his fingers through them when he woke up in the morning and said, "good enough."

The only part of him that didn't look relaxed were his eyes. His eyes were laser focused on her registering every subtle movement of her body.

"And do I have your assurance that when I leave, you will not come after me again?"

The hint of a smile pulled up the corners of his mouth. Rey hated how distracting his mouth was. Those full lips, so soft and sensual. Pity they belonged to someone she despised.

"Of course. Shall we begin?"

Kylo barely had the chance to finish his sentence before Rey launched herself at him. Her flurry of kicks and hits blocked with practiced ease. It was infuriating how calm he remained. He didn't even strike back, just blocked her attack. He wasn't even breathing hard for star's sake.

It was infuriating. He was infuriating. She didn't have time for whatever game he was playing. Her friends needed her. Changing tactics, she looped one leg behind his and grabbed onto the front of his shirt. Then she dropped her body weight and allowed the momentum to carry them both to the ground. His grunt of surprise was satisfying in the extreme.

The move seemed to convince him to treat this seriously and Rey was not sure that was a good thing. While they grappled on the ground, it because clear that she was not going to win this. Still she couldn't give up.

Rolling on top of him, she delivered a viscous blow to his mouth. She split his lip. The pain radiating down her hand told her that she had cut her knuckle open as well. The action seemed to trigger something in him. He wrapped his long legs around her torso and used them to like a lever to pull her down. She couldn't overpower him. He was too strong. When her back it the ground, he released her from his legs. She tried to roll away, but he was too fast. His chest slammed down onto her. His entire body settled over her and she could feel every hard inch of him.

He trapped her hands above her head. The only part of her that she could move was her head. She growled in frustration and struggled in his hold. Rey couldn't say how long they stayed locked together like that. He let her struggle until she had exhausted herself. Finally conceding defeat, she closed her eyes and rested her head against the ground.

She expected something to happen, or at least for him to say something. Opening her eyes, she saw him gazing down at her. The smirk on his face stretched his cut lip. A little rivulet of blood ran down his chin. Rey focused on that and not the triumph she saw in his eyes. He was clearly pleased.

"This means nothing," she stated, annoyed at how petulant she sounded.

His smirk deepened into a full smile. It was the first time that Rey had ever seen him actually smile. Not a smirk, not a quirk of the lips, a full honest to goodness smile. His teeth were straight and white. Rey hated it, hated the way she reacted to it. Something clenched low and tight in her belly. She was suddenly aware of how close they were. Of how disturbingly good his weight felt upon her.

Latching on to her anger as her only defense, Rey hissed out "I will get out of here."

"Fight me all you like little scavenger, but you are not going anywhere."

The confidence in his tone grated on her nerves. She hated the smug superiority in his demeanor. But what she hated the most was that there was nothing she could do. At least, not right now and she despised how that made her feel.

Slowly, deliberately, so that there could be no mistake that he was letting her up, did Kylo Ren rise. He strode out of the room without so much as a backward glance. The door sealed itself shut behind him. Rey sat up and let out a huff of frustration. Her head jerked up when the door opened again and in Kylo returned.

He was holding a small bowl and a few other items. He sat down next to her and lifted her injured hand. Rey sat incredulous.

"What are you doing?"

She was so shocked that she didn't even fight him. Just watched as he lifted her hand closer to his face to inspect the damage before dipping the rag into the bowl of water and cleaning the cut.

It stung, but Rey barely registered it. This didn't make sense. He kidnapped her, locked her in a room and defeated her in a fight and now he was taking care of her. She didn't understand any of this and she just wanted everything to stop so that she could be left alone to think.

With that in mind, she tried to pull her hand away. He griped her hand tightly, refusing to let go. When she continued to struggle, he applied more pressure until pain erupted in her fingers.

"You aren't going to make it better if you break all my fingers."

"Then stop struggling." His gaze was hard again. His eyes like little chips of flint as he glared at her. He released the pressure on her fingers and continued to methodically clean her wound.

They remained in silence until he finished. When he did, he rose to leave without speaking to her. He paused when she asked, "What now?"

Kylo seemed to ponder the question, almost as if he was asking himself the same thing. Then he strode out the door, without answering. Leaving Rey to wonder again about this strange situation.

…

Kylo handed the bowl and other supplies to an attendant before entering his room. Rey's last question echoing in his ears. What now indeed?

He didn't know what possessed him to treat her wounds after their fight. He wanted to demonstrate the futility of her resistance to him. To show, once and for all, that her previous triumph over him had been a fluke. Nothing more.

Then what had possessed him to take care of her? The abrasion was hardly worth noticing. He had sustained far worse in his training, but he had immediately treated her. He could have summoned someone else to do it, but he couldn't stand the thought.

He wanted to believe that it was because he didn't want someone else to fall victim to her Force suggestions but that was a lie. The idea of anyone else touching her filled him with rage. She was his, to do with as he pleased. If it pleased him to treat her then so be it. He did it because he wanted to and for no other reason.

Stripping off his tunic, he went straight to his fresher. Looking in the mirror, he examined the cut on his lip. She had marked him again. The little scavenger was leaving quite a collection of marks on him. First the lightsaber scar, then the bite on his neck and now the cut on his lip.

Kylo knew that bacta cream would erase any trace of the marks on his neck or lip. However, he felt himself strangely reluctant to do so. He liked that he bore her marks.

Stopping that line of thinking, Kylo refocused on the original question. What was he going to do with her now? He wanted to hurt her, yes. He wanted to punish her, but he didn't want to break her.

What he wanted the most was to bind her to him. To make the ties between them so strong that she would never think to leave him again. That she would never chose another over him again.

Lucky for him, the First Order, Galactic Empire and even the Sith before them had plenty of teachings about emotional manipulation. He had already isolated her, and she would remain without anyone except him. He would become her entire world. It only served her right for how much she infected him.

Everything good and bad in her life would now be because of him. A dark smiled graced his face, once again opening the cut on his lip.


	18. Chapter 17

Chapter Seventeen

Finn sat back and watched Rose in awe. The girl was a marvel, a certifiable genius.

Of course, just a few days ago he would not have claimed that. No, he was so angry at her that he would have said that she had lost her mind.

In their frantic flight to leave the city, Rose would stop suddenly a pick up a piece of scrap or would rummage through a crashed speeder looking for a part. She didn't seem to appreciate just how much danger they were in. Fed up with her antics, Finn grabbed her and swung her over his shoulder to carry her the rest of the way.

At first, Rose was so shocked that she didn't put up a fight. But as soon as one of her precious pieces of scrap fell out of her jacket she started squirming. Her jerky movement almost caused Finn to lose his balance. Growling out his frustration Finn set her down momentarily.

"You need to stop. In case you didn't notice, we are in the middle of a war zone!" Finn tried to remain calm but every moment that they delayed, the more danger they were in. Even this momentary pause set his teeth on edge. When Rose didn't reply, just bent down to pick up the lost piece of trash he lost it.

"That's it," he ground out through gritted teeth.

Not giving her time to argue or explain. Finn picked her up again. This time holding her in a Fireman's carry which allowed him far greater control over her movements. She could protest, all she liked. Hell, once they were free of this chaos, she could scream at him until her voice gave out. But right now, they had to flee. The entire city had gone mad.

Finn had never been more thankful for the grueling training he had endured as a stormtrooper. He kept running with Rose slung across his shoulders barely missing a beat. As he ran, he kept scanning his surroundings for functioning transport.

All the while he ignored Rose. At least, he tried to ignore her. For such a short woman, Finn didn't know how she managed to kick one leg up and clock him in the side of the face. It wasn't a hard blow, but it was enough to startle him.

"I said stop dummy! The speeder back there looks like it still works."

Finn turned and saw what she meant. He missed it in his frantic dash. There, tucked back in the alleyway, was a narrow speeder. It was halfway hidden under a ragged piece of cloth. Pulling the cloth away, Finn swore he had never seen a piece of equipment as beautiful.

In actuality, the speeder was a barely functioning piece of junk. But the moment the engine kicked over, Finn thought it was every bit as fine as a new Tiggerian class speeder. It was exactly what they needed and had likely saved both their lives.

They rode due west out of the city. Finn didn't have a destination in mind. His single thought was that they needed somewhere remote. They couldn't trust anyone right now. Their safest bet was to lay low until they could get a message to the Rebels.

Hopefully, wherever they ended up had a functioning communicator. Their communicator had been blown up with their ship.

…

The abandoned mining shack did not have a communicator. It was barely more than four walls and a roof, but it was isolated which was Finn's main concern.

The shack did have running water and if they were careful with their supplies, they could last about five days before they needed to venture out for food. Dehydrated protein rations and instant bread were not the tastiest, but you could carry a lot of rations in your pockets for easy transport.

After Finn complete the initial sweep of the shack, he motioned to Rose that it was safe to enter. She still hadn't spoken to him since they got on the speeder. She gave this shoulder a solid thump as passed him to enter the building.

"Hey! What was that for?"

"Like you don't know," was her sarcastic reply.

After that, Rose went back to ignoring him. She barely gave him a grunt of acknowledgement when he placed the prepared food near her later that evening.

Instead, Rose dumped all the pieces of scrap that she collected and began tinkering with them. She was laser focused on her task. She worked until the sun went down and would have continued working through the night if Finn had not insisted that they needed to maintain lights out because any illumination might bring hostiles to them.

Rose hadn't liked that response, but she didn't argue. She just gave him a derisive glare and then laid down with her back to him.

It wasn't until the next day that she explained what she was doing.

"We need a way to contact the Rebels. I couldn't find a communicator capable of transmitting a signal off world, but I may be able to rig one with these parts."

"Oh," was Finn's inelegant response. Feeling a little sheepish about his high-handed approach earlier, Finn asked if there was anything to he could do to help.

"Do you know how to solder?"

"Not really but I am a quick study."

With that, a truce had been called. Rose showed him how to properly meld the metal conductors and once he was done with that she started issuing more instructions for him.

Days later, they had a functioning communicator.

Running through the frequencies, Rose was able to lock on to Leia's personal frequency.

Both of them held their breath as they waited for a response.

"Identify," came the imperious command of General Leia Organa.

"Oh, thank the Stars," Rose exclaimed.

"General this is Finn and Rose, identification codes Echo Bravo Omega Signa and Lambda Iota Theta Nu."

"Identification confirmed," Leia replied.

"Now that that is squared away, what is your status? Is Rey with you?"

"Rey?"

Finn and Rose looked at each other in confusion. Rose took over the conversation while Finn rose and started pacing the room in agitation.

"No, General. We have not had any contact with Rey."

Leia sighed audibly before replying. "I was afraid of this. Both Rey and Chewie landed two days ago on a mission to find you two. Chewie lost contact with Rey on the first day and is frantic that something happened to her."

"Why did you let her come in the first place!" Finn shouted.

"I didn't let her do anything. I gave a direct order that neither of them was to leave Kashyyyk but neither followed it." The tone of Leia's response stopped Finn short. It reminded him that he was mouthing off to a General.

Finn couldn't totally blame Leia. Rey was beyond headstrong. Once she got a notion into her head there was no stopping her. Besides, if their positions were reversed, he would have done the same. Rey was family and if she was in danger, he would have disobeyed any order to help her.

"Where is Chewie now?"

Finn was glad one of them was keeping a level head. He was too worried thinking about all the bad things that could have happened to Rey. What was she thinking? Force powers or not, she was just one person. This entire planet was a warzone.

"Chewie is in the Galapus ravine."

"Okay, I think Finn and I are somewhere in the Garvos mountain range. General, could you send us a map or directions for how to get to him? We don't have access to any kind of terminal right now."

"Of course. Stand by for transmission."

The map came through without issue. Examining the route, Finn could see that it would be at least two days before they could get to the Falcon. They could arrive earlier but that would mean having to go through population centers and Finn didn't think their luck would hold another time.

"We will keep a sharp eye out for Rey as we make our way back to the Falcon. After we meet up with Chewie, we can start doing planetary sweeps for her. Does she still have her locator beacon?"

There was a long pause before Leia replied. "Yes, she had the beacon in her possession when she departed from the Falcon. It was functioning up until two hours ago."

"Great," Finn exclaimed. "Send us those coordinates and we will pick her up on the way back."

"You should know that the beacon has not moved in over 36 hours."

The weight of that statement hit Finn square in the chest. Rose looked up at him with a worried expression on her face. Whatever had happened to Rey, it wasn't good.

Straightening his spine, Finn refused to consider that anything too horrible had happened. Most likely, she was pinned down due to all the fighting. Even if she had been captured, they could rescue her. Finn told himself that this was going to be alright. It had to be.


	19. Chapter 18

Chapter Eighteen

Former General Hux was falling apart under pressure. Kylo had always recognized that Hux was a sniveling coward. How gratifying it was to have everyone else see the man for what he really was. Kylo admonished himself. He shouldn't take such satisfaction in this. Hux was a nerf herder, unworthy of his notice.

Still the man had been a thorn in Kylo's side for years. It was the one ongoing point of dissent with Snoke. Despite his former master's assertions, Kylo could never see the purpose that Hux served. Aligning the First Order with such a reprobate diminished all their actions.

The First Order was like a festering wound, and Hux was the infected puss. Before the wound could heal, the infection had to be drained and excised. That was what this trial was about. Ridding the First Order of its weakness and unworthy ambitions. Well, he mused, that and regaining the trust of the Galaxy.

Kylo Ren was not a fool. A war of attrition served no one, least of all himself. No, true power did not reside with dictators who constantly had to tighten their grip on the galaxy. It came from choice, and the galaxy would choose him. He would make sure of it.

This trial was Kylo's first real test on the path to supremacy. He had to walk a fine line. The trial was an act of absolution to the galaxy. First, they confessed their past crimes. Then they would demonstrate their sincere desire to make reparations through acts of good will.

The majority of people were sheep. If you feed them what they wanted to hear and then said you were sorry they would offer their forgiveness without hesitating. Some demanded more, some needed a blood sacrifice before they could be appeased.

And that was what Hux had been reduced to. A sacrifice to appease the masses.

Still, there was always a risk of getting caught up in the whirlwind that he had unleashed. Kylo could not afford to have his own misdeeds known. That is why Kylo had dispatched Thorath Ren, to ensure Hux's silence when it came to his former rival.

Thorath Ren was part of Hux's prison guard. Each night, Thorath used the Force to ensure that Hux would never mention Kylo Ren in any of his testimony. Kylo smirked at the thought, Force compulsion only worked on the weak willed and Hux was as weak as they came.

…

Finn was beginning to love the Millennium Falcon. The old smuggling ship had saved him on more than one occasion. It didn't matter that the ship looked like it belonged on a junk heap or that something was constantly breaking. The Falcon was synonymous with safety in Finn's mind.

Still, his relief at being back in the Falcon did not stop him from lighting into its pilot. As soon as the hanger door had closed, Finn marched directly to Chewie. Not stopping to consider the stupidity of his actions, he took a swing at the giant Wookie.

"What were you thinking? You let her go out on her own! Why didn't you go with her! You know that the First Order is looking for her!"

Chewie roared in defense and batted Finn away. The blow might have been a love tap to another Wookie, but it sent Finn flying into the wall. It didn't matter to Finn. He was beyond angry. Pulling himself off the wall he turned to go another round with the giant fur ball.

"Okay, that's enough." Rose got between the two males. Her tone didn't brook any argument.

Rubbing his jaw, Finn continued to glare at Chewie. The Wookie glared right back.

"Seriously! I said enough. All of this useless male posturing is not going to help find Rey."

That seemed to take the wind of both combatants. Chewie hung his head and growled sorrowfully. Finn still couldn't understand him, but Rose walked over and put a sympathetic hand on Chewie's arm.

"It will be alright," Rose said to the Wookie. "She wouldn't have survived for so long on Jakku if she wasn't resourceful. Besides, who would want to mess with a Jedi?"

Her words seemed to comfort Chewie, but they didn't ease him. Finn didn't want to contradict Rose, but he didn't share her optimism. Jakku was harsh, but it was sparsely populated. There were a lot more reprobates to deal with on this planet and Rey was just one girl, magical force powers or not.

Chewie sat down next to Rose and leaned his big head over to rest on her shoulder. Rose continued to pet his arm and Finn found that seriously annoying. He was the one that got thrown into a wall and Rose was caring for the Wookie like he was the injured party.

Still, Rose had a point. Fighting amongst themselves wouldn't help anything. Every second they wasted, something horrible could be happening to Rey. Needing to take control of the situation, Finn spoke in a calmer tone.

"Okay, the first thing we need to do is a fly over the path she most likely took. Maybe we can spot something." Pausing, Finn didn't consider the wisdom of his next words.

"Chewie, you have already done a search for her using the Falcon's scanners, right?"

The Wookie's roar of outrage reverberated throughout the cabin. Finn didn't need to speak the language to know that whatever Chewie was saying to him, it wasn't complimentary. Stomping away, Chewie continued to voice his outrage the entire way back to the pilot's seat.

Rose gave Finn a scathing look and Finn found his confidence withering under her stare.

"He isn't an idiot. Unlike another dummy I know."

With that, she turned to join Chewie. Leaving Finn to wonder how he became the bad guy in all of this.


	20. Chapter 19

Chapter Nineteen

Rey lost all sense of time. The only light in the room was artificial and food was delivered at irregular intervals. At first, she scoffed at Kylo's version of punishment. Isolation, ha. She was always alone on Jakku. This was nothing.

But she was wrong. On Jakku she had activities to keep her mind engaged. There was always something to do. At first, she kept occupied with physical activity. She practiced combat maneuvers over and over, until sweat ran down her body. Eventually she exhausted herself.

Next, she tried meditation. She cleared her mind and focused on emptying herself of all thought and emotion. To simply breath, to simply be. This was much harder than the physical exertion. Rey was a creature of action. Emptying herself of everything felt unnatural and she found that she could only maintain her focus for limited periods of time. Not nearly enough to fill the hours of the day. Or maybe it did, she had no way of knowing.

Finally, she tore a long strip of fabric from the bottom of her tunic. It was wider than she meant to make it, leaving a line of her abdomen exposed to the air. Oh well, she mused. It wasn't like the room was cold and no one came to visit her except the most basic of droids.

Rey had to snort at that. Apparently, she couldn't be trusted with regular droids. All the models that entered her cell had the most limited functional capabilities. None possessed the brilliant AI of BB-8. The droids shared another common feature. All their external hatches and junction boxes were welded shut. This made it impossible for her to steal parts from the droids. Apparently, Kylo knew she would not be a good prisoner and would try to escape. Or she mused, this was another part of his punishment. He knew she liked to tinker. That working with her hands soothed her. Perhaps this unending boredom was part of his torture.

She had to admit, she was surprised. She didn't know what she thought would happen when she woke up in this bizarre room, but this was not it. She was well fed and unless you count that first fight, she hadn't been harmed. No, that wasn't right either. Kylo had not really harmed her in their fight. If anything, it had been humiliating losing so completely. The lack of physical damage added to that humiliation. He didn't need to break her to win. He had completely dominated her, and it didn't even seem like it was much effort for him. What had changed?

And, where was he? Rey didn't want his company, but all of his fierce declarations made it seem like each day he planned to torture her. Not that she was complaining. She much preferred not being tortured. Apparently, he just wanted to lock her away and forget about her.

Picking up the piece of fabric, she used the Force to levitate it in the air. It was certainly lighter than the rocks on Crait, but she realized that weight and size really had nothing to do with it. Concentrating, she focused her efforts into controlling the movements of the fabric. She watched it move around the room, varying the speed of its flight and rapidly changing its direction.

When that too got boring, she focused on manipulating the fabric into different shapes. That took a lot more effort. It exhausted her but not nearly as much as trying to meditate. Still, what else did she have to do?

…..

Two days, that was how long Kylo was able to resist going to her. He wanted to prove to himself that she didn't matter. That the scavenger didn't hold any power over him and that his desperate need for her would abate now that he had her in his possession. He was wrong.

His need for her continued to grow. He craved to be near her. That was the real reason why the left the planet. Not because he was needed elsewhere, he could have issued his commands from anywhere. He needed to demonstrate that he was the one with all the power.

In the end, he had to return. The distance between them was too agonizing. He craved her too much. No longer in a mindset to deny himself, he disembarked from the carrier and went directly to her cell.

Seeing her again filled him with relief. Just being near her soothed him. She stared fixedly on a piece of fabric as it levitated in the air. The fabric was shaped like a circle before morphing into a square. She was clearly practicing with her powers. Good, Kylo thought. This wouldn't be nearly so fun if she just rolled over and gave up.

Seeing him broke her concentration. The piece of fabric fell to the floor. They stared at each other in silence.

Finally, Kylo stepped into the room. "I see you've been practicing."

"Oh, you know how it is. A girl must find time to practice no matter how busy her schedule is."

Kylo smirked at her sardonic reply. Clearly the two days in total isolation hadn't improved her manners. He was glad.

"Of course," he replied in a matching tone.

"In fact, I am much too busy for any kind of interruption so if you don't mind, I would like you to leave."

"I don't think I will. It would be a shame not to test your progress. Clearly, you've been working so hard."

Kylo advanced into the room and stood before the fallen strip of fabric. He exerted a subtle amount of energy and lifted it into the air.

"Take it from me," he commanded.

Rey glared back at him. She wore that familiar expression on her face. Getting to her feet, she looked like she wanted to tell him to go to hell.

"I am not in the mood for games today, Kylo." She practically spat out his name.

"No?"

Kylo kept his tone light, belying his actions. Lashing out, he used the force to throw her into the wall behind her. Taking advantage of her surprise, he continued to use the force to turn her to face the wall. She struggled but was unable to break his grasp.

She gave a slight gasp of surprise when the piece of fabric tied itself around her wrists. She now had both hands tied behind her back.

"Break out," Kylo commanded.

"Go to hell," was her sharp reply.

Ignoring her words. Kylo leaned against the wall next to her.

"I told you. You need a teacher."

Rey continued to struggle but was unable to budge from the wall. Looking at her with mock sympathy, Kylo tsked his distain.

"Maybe you need an incentive," he mused.

He moved away from the wall and circled behind her. She couldn't see where he was now.

"I'll make you a deal. If you can break free using only the Force, I will reward you. Fail, and I will punish you."

Rey growled out her frustration, but she did what he asked. Sweat broke out on her forehead and Kylo could feel her powers pushing against his own. She practically hummed with concentration but despite her best efforts, she was unable to break his hold on her. Having indulged in this game long enough, Kylo released his hold on her. What he didn't do was untie her hands.

The serving droid rolled in. Breaking the tension between them. A wicked grin spread on Kylo's face as he looked down at the platter of food.

Once again, he used the Force to manipulate Rey's body. This time he forced her to her knees. Picking up the tray of food he gazed down at her for a long moment. He loved seeing her like this, on her knees before him with a look of angry defiance in her eyes.

Settling down in front of her, Kylo picked up a piece of food.

Her expression morphed into one of frightened incredulity. "What are you doing?"

"This is your punishment," was his reply. He brought the piece of food to her lips.

"Eat," he commanded.

When she didn't open her mouth, Kylo's expression grew hard.

"You would prefer another punishment?"

The menacing tone he used made Rey shiver. She studied him intently, clearly weighing her options. Just when he was about to force the issue, Rey opened her mouth.

The smile returned to his face. He feed her every piece of food by hand. She clearly hated this but was unwilling to push him any farther. Good, he thought. The soft movements of her mouth held him transfixed. He longed to touch her lips, but he wouldn't. At least not yet.

They didn't speak. He fed her slowly, clearly enjoying her torment. Then, when there was only one morsel of food left, he brushed his thumb over her lower lip. It was soft and smooth.

Rey was so surprised she fell back. Kylo didn't say anything. He released her from her bonds, got up and left the cell.


	21. Chapter 20

Chapter Twenty

Poe knew that Leia would never approve of his actions. She had ordered everyone to stay away from the First Order. To wait and see what their enemies were up to. But Poe couldn't stand around any longer. Leia was isolated on Kashyyyk. She couldn't see how everyone in the galaxy was being manipulated.

The trial was all anyone could talk about. It was on every screen and holoprojector. Hux and other high-ranking officials had been eviscerated by the prosecution. The evidence against them was overwhelming. It should have made him happy, but the victory was hollow because it didn't bring an end to the First Order. No, instead people clamored to them for aid.

Fools, Poe thought. How could you beg for help from the very people who took from you in the first place? Something was horribly wrong, and Poe had to find out what it was. He would never believe that the First Order had changed. Somehow, they were deceiving the entire system.

So, he broke into a First Order distribution center. He was going to find the evidence he needed to bring them down.

The building was sparsely populated and mainly by service droids. Poe crept along in the shadows, avoiding detection. Using his plasma cutter, he carefully opened one of the metal crates. Rummaging around, he couldn't find anything other than the medical supplies indicated on the crate's shipping manifest. Poe's confusion deepened. What were they up to? There had to be something here, he just had to find it.

He planted a small tracking beacon in the crate. Perhaps the First Order wasn't delivering the supplies to populations that needed it. Perhaps they were selling it to one of the galaxy's many nefarious warlords or gangsters. With all the loses the First Order had sustained, they had to be short on funds. It would be just like them to pretend to give aid only to sell the supplies to the highest bidder.

Poe needed to get out of there. He had lingered too long already. He could feel the hairs on the back of his neck stand up, like he was being watched.

I am just being paranoid, he told himself. If they spotted me, they would be after me.

He reversed the settings on his plasma cutter and sealed the crate. The tool was amazing. It repaired the exact damage that it made, making his actions undetectable. He would track where these supplies were being delivered to. Then, the galaxy would finally see the First Order for what it really was.

Keeping low, Poe exited the facility without issue. Now all he had to do was wait and see. Soon, he would have the evidence that he needed.

….

"Lieutenant, play back the footage again."

The lieutenant hurried to complete his orders. "Commander, why didn't we arrest the intruder?"

Not looking up for the monitor, the Commander replied in a bored tone.

"The Supreme Leader has other plans in mind for the so-called rebels. Arresting this one individual does not serve our needs."

The lieutenant still looked confused but was clearly too uncomfortable to ask another question. "Of course, Sir. I see."

The Commander wanted to snort. No, the Lieutenant clearly didn't see but he was in no mood to educate him. Dismissing the young officer with a wave of his hand, the Commander transmitted the data file directly to Supreme Leader Kylo Ren. The Supreme Leader would be most pleased with the footage.

The rebel fools were playing right into their hands.


	22. Chapter 21

Chapter 21

Kylo hid the slight smirk behind his hand. These reports were necessary but tedious. It was too easy to allow his mind to drift to more pleasant thoughts. Like the shocked expression on the scavenger's face when he brushed her lips with the barest of touches.

The touch might have been light, but it's impact was not. Fire had raced up his arm and fueled his desires for her. If he hadn't left the room, he was not sure what he would have done. He wasn't the only one to feel that way either. The closer they were to each other, the stronger the force bond became. It was so much easier to read her now.

Her feelings towards him were jumbled and unsettled. She wanted to feel nothing but anger and contempt for him, but doubt and her natural attraction made her question everything. Rey's doubt was the key to everything. She was too stubborn to be forced into siding with him. No, she needed to be convinced. Once she gave her loyalty freely, it was nearly impossible to break it. It would take a firm hand to guide her, but he would love every minute of her instruction.

Kylo issued his commands and then dismissed the assembled officers. He could not neglect his duties to the First Order, but he could no longer resist her pull. Kylo forced himself to go to his chambers first. Walking into his shower, he let the purposefully cold-water cascade over his body.

It helped ease the fever in his blood. Slowly, methodically, he built up his mental barriers. The force bond worked both ways. He needed to tread carefully. The link allowed him access to her but without his barriers up, she would be able to read him just as easily.

For once, he was grateful that his Uncle was such a horrible teacher. The failure of a Jedi had only taught her the most rudimentary of lessons. Otherwise, it looked like Rey was stumbling through everything on her own. It left her at a deep disadvantage. Now she was the one who was unbalanced. It sapped her of her natural abilities. Meanwhile, he had never been stronger. There was no more doubt in his mind. He knew what he was and what he wanted.

Exiting the shower, he made short work of getting dressed. He selected his normal training gear, loose pants that allowed for freedom of movement and he kept his chest bare. He wanted to keep Rey distracted, and as much as she might wish it were otherwise, she was attracted to him.

He gathered up a much smaller pair of pants and one of his tunics and belts. Striding purposefully out of his room, he went directly to her cell.

She was trying to meditate when he walked in. He stopped about three feet from where she was sitting and tossed the new clothing to her.

"Put this on."

It was clear that she planned to ignore him. However, the clothing smacking her in the face caused her to give up the pretense and glare daggers at him. At least until she took in his appearance. A pleasant blush spread across her checks and whatever smart remark she planned on making died on her lips.

"Put it on," he reiterated.

"What? Why?" It was clear his appearance was having quiet the effect on her mental capacities. She looked down at the fallen clothing and plucked at it like she had never seen clothing before.

Not giving her an inch, Kylo took a menacing step forward.

"Get changed or I will do it for you."

He didn't raise his tone but there was no disguising the threat in his voice. He meant what he said. One way or another she was going to change.

"Alright, fine."

Scrambling up, she studied the clothing.

Confident that she would do as he commanded, Kylo turned away from her. Giving her a semblance of privacy. He waited a reasonable amount of time before turning back to her. She was looking down at her midsection, tightening the cloth belt he had provided.

Seeing her in his shirt satisfied him in a way he could not describe. It was clearly too big for her but that was not the point. He preferred her like this more than any other time he had seen her. It was even better than when she had been wearing the green gown. She was beautiful then, but Kylo much preferred her like this, wrapped in his clothing.

"Follow me."

He turned and left the room, knowing she would follow. She scrambled to keep up with his long strides.

"Where are we going?"

Kylo ignored her question and continued ahead. He had just turned the corner when he felt she was lagging behind. She was clearly distracted by her surroundings. He supposed he could hardly blame her with being kept in that monotonous cell for so long. Still, that wasn't reason to delay him.

Gripping her elbow in a firm grip, he proceeded to march along with her in tow. She was still so distracted that she barely seemed to notice.

Mustafar was imposing. The fortress was located in the middle of river of lava. The molten rock glowing vibrant shades of red and orange as it drifted slowly along. The hallway that they were in afforded spectacular views of the surrounding area.

Even pulled away from the view, she was distracted by the high stone archways made of large black stone. It leant everything a formidable and unnerving air.

Reaching their destination, Kylo opened the door with a wave of his hand and stepped inside. Clearly indicating that Rey was to go first. She eyed him coolly but saw no weakness in his returning gaze. Finally, she walked in.

"Well, what is all this about?"

"You need a teacher. For all this time, it seems you haven't improved at all. In fact, you seem to be weaker."

She blushed again, clearly embarrassed at the truth in his words. It didn't stop her from lifting her chin and looking down the edge of her nose at him.

"What makes you think I would ever let you teach me anything?"

Picking up two staffs, Kylo tossed her one. She picked it out of the air with a practiced grace. A real smiled appeared on her lips as she twirled the staff, testing its weight and balance.

She clearly thought she had the upper hand. Foolish girl. Before he could handle a saber, he had to master many other weapons. A staff was just one of them.

Kylo didn't answer her with words, just launched into a furious attack. Rey was clearly unprepared for his sudden onslaught, but she adapted well. Launching into the fight with her own fury.

This was why he had chosen the staff. The familiarity eliminated her resistance. She felt confident with her abilities and gave in to the fight.

They didn't need words when they were fighting. Their bodies fell into a natural rhythm with each other. She was clearly disappointed that she hadn't won the battle quickly but those feeling disappeared as she put everything that she had into keeping him at bay.

She did have skill, he mused. Her familiarity with this weapon was demonstrated by every stinging strike and practiced block. He didn't press his advantage just yet. He allowed her to think they were on equal ground. Allowed her to exhaust vast amounts of her energy.

Then he drove home the point. Time after time, he dropped her to the ground. Sometimes he would do it quickly, other times he toyed with her a bit. But soon she realized, even with her most trusted weapon, she could not beat him.

The duel started to take its toll on her. It took her longer to get up despite her growing agitation. Her movement became sloppier, less deliberate as her anger grew. But she didn't know how to harness it.

Sweeping her legs out from under her, Rey stayed splayed on the ground.

"You need a teacher."

Rey merely groaned low and pushed the staff away from her.

Kylo picked up a towel and wiped the back of his neck. Picking up a container of water, he eyed her prone form for a moment before moving to her.

Sitting down beside her head, he drank deeply before offering it to her. She eyed him warily before sitting up and reaching for it.

Kylo gave it to her freely and got up. Stretching out his arms and torso, he seemed to ignore her.

Rey, however, couldn't look away from him. Suspicion marked her every feature. Her eyes followed him, but she didn't speak. When Kylo tossed her a towel she caught it and began to wipe the sweat from her face.

"Let's go."

Kylo moved towards the door and eyed Rey with the clear expectation that she was to follow. Reluctantly, she pushed herself off the ground and made her way to him.

"What now?"

Kylo took the water back from her and drank again.

"Follow me."

It was the only response he gave her. Rey followed him down the hall. This time she was no longer distracted by her surroundings. Kylo could feel the weight of her gaze on his back. They walked in silence until they passed the door to her cell.

Her steps slowed for a moment before catching up with him again.

He could practically feel the curiosity radiating off her. She stayed silent however. At least she did until they reached their destination. Opening the door to his chamber, he stepped back and waited for her to walk inside.


	23. Chapter 22

Chapter 22

Rey could feel Kylo Ren's presence as he neared her cell. It bothered her that her whole being seemed attuned to his presence. She told herself that it was only because of her isolation and boredom. It wasn't because she felt anything for him.

How could she feel anything for him? He chose his path and she chose hers. There was no point in lingering on what could have been.

Still, that didn't stop her pulse from racing when the door slid open. Thankfully, her expression did not betray her. She kept up her serene and meditative façade, despite the fact that all of her other senses homed in on his presence. It was everything she could do just to keep her eyes shut and her breathing even.

She was going to ignore him this time. There was nothing he could do to move her. He needed to learn that this, whatever this was, was pointless. They were nothing to each other. Not anymore.

She was so focused on ignoring everything that she was caught completely off guard when something soft hit her in the face. Opening her eyes to see what the offending object was, she was completely unprepared for the sight in front of her.

Kylo Ren stared down at her. His expression was intense, but what arrested her attention and stole her breath was the sight of his naked torso. He was shirtless, again. Just like before, she found his state of undress to be completely flustering. Her mouth went dry and she struggled to form a coherent thought.

The only thing she could process was his broad shoulders and raw strength. He had a muscular physique that was clearly earned through grueling effort.

Rey could feel herself blush as she reacted to him. Why did he affect her so strongly? She had never reacted to anyone like this before. Not on Jakku and not to anyone that she had met since leaving the desert planet. It was just him. The one person she could not feel for.

It took her a moment to register that he was talking to her. These were not the first words he had said to her since entering the room, but her brain still had trouble processing anything other than his body.

When he took a menacing step forward, everything snapped into place and his words registered. She couldn't have him come any closer to her. Not until she got ahold of herself.

Seeing him turn around she made quick work of changing into the new clothing. The pants were made of a tight stretchy material that hugged every inch of her. The shirt clearly had not been sized for her. She practically swam in it. Still, it was clean and the fabric soft. Once she looped the belt around her midsection a couple of times it was perfectly serviceable.

Looking up, she was unprepared for the intense hunger in Kylo Ren's eyes as he looked at her. Everything on her was covered but his expression left her feeling naked and exposed. She was grateful when he ordered her to follow him and turned away from her. She didn't like how much his expression affected her.

Following Kylo out of the room, Rey soon became distracted by her surroundings. She had been unconscious when she was brought here so this was the first time she had seen anything besides the confides of her cell.

She marveled at the landscape before her. Each planet she arrived on was so different. Jakku was a sea of sand with blinding horizons. Takodona a lush landscape of forests and lakes. Kashyyyk was an enchanted world of treetops. Polk was a watery nightmare of mud and darkness. She had no idea where she was now, but this was a world of stone and lava. Rey was so arrested by the sight she didn't even protest when Kylo grabbed her elbow and hauled her along. She just kept looking at her surroundings, taking everything in.

This entire place seemed to dwarf her with its intimidating presence. She had never felt more insignificant. The ceiling soared far overhead. Only unlike Kashyyyk, where the heights filled her with a sense of freedom, this place felt crushing. Like she was an insect in the land of giants.

Finally, they stopped in front of another door. Kylo opened it with a wave of his hand and stepped back. Clearly, he expected her to go in first. A silent test of wills began to play out, but Rey conceded quickly before walking into the room with her head held high. She needed to save her strength for the real test to come. Allowing Kylo to bait her at every instance only demonstrated the power he had over her.

The room was clearly a training facility of some kind. To be honest, it was very similar to her cell. The only real difference was that this room was sparsely furnished.

Pouring as much boredom as she could into her tone, she asked Kylo what this was about.

His response chagrined her and pricked her anger.

He wasn't wrong. She had not fared well against him in their last few altercations. It was unsettling. It was almost as if they had changed places. Before she had been so confident, so sure in the rightness of her actions while he had been filled with conflict and doubt. She couldn't sense any doubt in him anymore.

Rey was prepared to draw a line in the sand and refuse him whatever it was that he wanted from her until he did something completely unexpected. He tossed her a staff. The weight felt good. Testing the balance, she twirled it around in a series of maneuvers that were second nature to her. What did Kylo hope to gain from this? He had to know that a staff was practically an extension of herself. She had never been beaten while she wielded this weapon.

Feeling her confidence grow, she allowed herself to respond to his attack. This was her chance to reassert her dominance. There was no way he could beat her with this.

Their bodies fell into a familiar rhythm. No words were said as they fought. The more they battled the deeper the force connection seemed to grow between them. That didn't help her though. Time after time, Kylo dropped her.

Each time he did she felt her anger ratchet up a notch. Unlike the confrontation in the forest on Starkiller base, this time her anger didn't help her. Before it sharpened her focus, guided her movements. Now it just made her attacks sloppier. Which led to him defeating her quicker which led to more anger. It was a downward spiral that she couldn't get out of.

Finally, after a particularly vicious drop, she stayed down. Her actions a testament to Rey's defeat. She couldn't even muster up a rebuttal to his commentary about her needing a teacher. She just wanted to lie there and for him to disappear.

She ignored him to wallow in her misery until he sat down beside her and offered her some water. She was much too thirsty to resist. Drinking from the container she watched him move around the room.

A shine of sweat glistened on his entire torso. It looked good. He looked good. She drank in the sight of him until he tossed her a towel. Her entire body was soaked. The fabric of her shirt clung to her form. She was fine now, but soon it would leave her feeling cold and the soreness from the battle would set in. She wished there was something other than the floor to stretch out on in her room.

Rising from the floor, she reluctantly followed Kylo out of the room. She didn't know how much longer she could endure the boredom of her cell. They walked back in the direction that they came. This time, her surrounding couldn't hold her attention. Instead, she stared at Kylo's broad back. His shoulders were strong and tapered gracefully into his waist. Everything about him spoke of power and in this moment, Rey hated him all the more for it. Her pride had suffered in that demonstration, and she was sure it was a demonstration.

He wanted her to feel helpless. This was not the same person that asked her to join him. The person in front of her would never say please. Whatever vulnerability in him was gone. Leaving only ruthlessness in its wake.

She had to admit, she didn't know this Kylo. She had known him as a mindless drone, Snoke's enforcer. She had seen him when the conflict ate at him, leaving him a lost soul. She had seen his rage, but she had never seen this Kylo before.

She thought that he would deposit her back in her cell, so she was surprised when he continued past it. Her curiosity over what would happen next took over. It continued until they reached their destination. When the door open, her curiosity vanished. Looking into the chambers, real fear replaced it.


	24. Chapter 23

**I often upload multiple chapters at a time. Chapter 22 was posted at the same time as 23.**

Chapter 23

Poe continued to follow the tracking beacon. He had abandoned trying to negotiate with Gala Vash. The man would not see reason where the First Order was concerned. The leader of the Outer Rim rebellion had flatly refused to meet with Poe after their initial meeting with the First Order representatives.

No skin off his back. Poe was not interested in listening to the First Order's lies and propaganda. He would get the evidence that he needed and when he did he would prove to the galaxy that the First Order could not be trusted.

BB-8's chirps interrupted his reverie.

"Let's keep positive, BB-8. We will report back to Leia when we have something to report. She doesn't need to know about this side mission right now."

BB-8's answering beeps clearly stated that he didn't agree.

"Technically, this is still part of the mission. Once Gala Vash and everyone else sees the evidence, they will be back on our side. This is just a slight detour."

Poe hoped the detour would be slight. He didn't know how much longer he could put off reporting in to the General.

Poe's X-Wing made the final approach to land. The First Order ship had landed on the ice planet of Yakoba. Unlike Hoth, Yakoba had a large indigenous population that had adapted to the cold. Native Yakobas had snow white skin and hair. The only coloring on their bodies were their vibrant eyes which ranged in color from cobalt blue to deep purple. They could withstand the planet's freezing temperatures without any coverings. The clothing Yakobas wore was for decoration, not necessity.

Poe recalled that Yakoba was also ground zero for a recent outbreak of Zatatan fever. Most of the time, Zatatan fever was rarely deadly but native Yakobas were highly susceptible to the disease. The same adaptations that allowed them to endure the freezing temperatures left them unable to tolerate the standard immunizations used by the rest of the galaxy. For Yakobas, the standard medicine would kill them faster than the disease. They required a highly specialized blend that was difficult to manufacture and had a limited shelf life.

Poe landed the X-Wing and found a safe spot to observe the First Order without being detected. He would spy on them using his long-range visor.

BB-8 was very unhappy. Astro droids rarely fared well in the snow and ice. The little droid had put up quite a fuss about being ordered to stay behind. Poe had assured him that he would not get close enough to be detected. This mission was purely recon.

Poe settled into a large snowbank and watched the First Order set up their medical station. The efficiency in which they were able to construct the medical center was astounding. Within hours of landing, they were receiving patients. Yakobas soon filed in and out of the facility.

Nothing looked amiss from this distance, but Poe could not shake a bad feeling. Something was off. There was no way the First Order would offer aid to the Yakobas. They had nothing to offer in return.

Returning to his X-Wing, Poe lit a fire and started heating rations. Once the rations were prepared he extinguished the flames and took his food into the X-Wing. It wouldn't be the first meal he had eaten in his cockpit. Besides, the heating vents would warm his feet much faster than the pitiful fire he had constructed. They were far enough away from the First Order base that Poe felt confident the fire would not be detected, but he didn't want to risk it by starting a blazing inferno.

Finishing his tasteless meal quickly, he gave BB-8 the rundown of what he saw. The astro droid used his lack of findings to argue for returning to their primary objective.

"No buddy. There is something going on in that medical facility. I know it. Tonight, after it gets dark out I'm going to sneak into the building."

BB-8's angry beeps told Poe just how stupid the droid found that idea.

"It will be fine. I have snuck into way worse spots before."

The short response chirps were not complimentary.

"We will never get anywhere with that negative attitude," Poe responded. He tried to keep his tone joking but BB-8 clearly didn't want to let this go.

"I hear you, but we need to find something. Everyday more and more systems are requesting aid from the First Order. We can't let the whole galaxy be seduced by these murderers. I am going tonight and that is final. I will be fine."

…..

Hours later, Poe crept into the First Order's medical facility. The personal had gone to their quarters for the night, leaving Poe alone in the facility. Quietly he moved from room to room, looking for anything amiss.

On the surface, nothing appeared out of place. Everything was just as you would expect a medical facility to be. Still, something was wrong. Poe could feel it. He just had to find it.

Entering one of the back rooms, Poe found what he was looking for. The entire room was lined with body bags. Unzipping one, he found the body of a young Yakoban child. The boy looked to be no older than 3 cycles. His eyes and mouth displayed the typical black striations symptomatic of Zatatan fever. Opening another bag, he found similar marking on the body of an elderly female.

This entire room was filled with the dead. There had to be at least 70 bodies. That should not happen. The specialized medicine should have cured everyone on contact, no matter how far the disease had progressed. The First Order was not helping these people. They were just pretending to. Taking out his holo recorder, Poe documented his findings.

Hearing a noise from the hallway, Poe hid behind one of the tables as four large First Order soldiers entered the room. They began loading bodies onto a large hover cart. Poe stayed hidden but positioned his camera to document their actions. He waited a full minute before following them out of the room. Before heading outside, he used his holo camera to take footage of the medical facility including a close up of the fake medicine. He grabbed a vial and put it in one of his pockets. Once, the rebellion tested it and found it to be fake, the so-called medicine would be another piece of evidence that would bring the First Order down.

A large fire suddenly erupted to Poe's right. Going to the window, Poe saw the First Order soldiers heaving the bodies of the deceased into the flames. He filmed the horrible sight for a minute before sneaking out of the facility. Poe imagined that he would feel happy once he got the evidence he needed. Instead, he just felt grim resignation. They were monsters and Poe couldn't do anything to help these people. At least not yet. He needed to get off planet and broadcast this news.


	25. Chapter 24

Chapter 24

Kylo could feel Rey's fear grow by the second. It was intoxicating. At no point during their earlier battle had she displayed even the hint of fear. On an elemental level, she recognized something was about to shift in their relationship. Stepping through this door would change everything.

Kylo was willing to let Rey wait. He wanted her to walk through the door of her own free will. She needed to take this first set down the rabbit hole herself. Besides, he was enjoying the play of emotions as they raced across her face. She had no guile.

Taking a deep breath, Rey tilted her chin up and strode into the room. Kylo was glad she didn't turn to look at him. The smile on his face would have alerted her to the colossal error she had just made.

Rey surveyed the room with an air of feigned indifference. Kylo let her, relishing the sight of her in his chambers. This is where she would stay from now on. Even the brief distance of his room to her cell had become too much for him. He needed her to be closer to him.

She didn't turn to look at him until the door slid closed. By then he had mastered his own emotions and schooled his face into a mask of nonchalance.

"Where are we?"

Kylo paused before answering. Walking to a nearby table, he selected a small piece of fruit and bit into it. It was delicious but Kylo barely registered the flavor, his every sense was homed in on the girl.

"My chambers."

"Why?"

Selecting another piece of fruit, Kylo bit into it and poured himself a glass of water.

"You lost Rey. This is your punishment."

He was being deliberately vague. Letting the tension build up in her and savoring the spike of fear that surged through her at his words. She seemed incapable of forming a coherent thought at the moment. Not pitying her for an instant, Kylo forged on.

"From now on, these will also be your chambers. You will eat here, sleep here and remained confined here unless I say otherwise."

Anger and embarrassment colored Rey's checks. He loved the blush of pink as it spread across her face. Straightening her spine and placing her hands on her hips, Rey met his gaze full on.

"I will not sleep with you."

"You are not worthy to share my bed."

Kylo ignored her snort of derision. She would pay for that later. Right now, he needed her to know her place. Walking into the bedchambers, he waited for her to come to the doorway before continuing. Rey didn't set foot into the room but watched him warily from the doorway.

Kylo gestured to the pallet that had been made up at the foot of his bed.

"This is where you will sleep."

Rey's eyes grew wide and she struggled to contain her anger before responding.

"You have lost your…."

She didn't get a chance to finish. Kylo used the Force to pick Rey up and deposit her on the pallet. He stood over her for a minute, enjoying watching her struggle to break free of his hold. She huffed and grunted before finally letting out a small scream of frustration.

Kneeling so that he was eye level with Rey, he reached out and gripped her chin in a punishing hold. Forcing her to look at him. Holding her gaze for a moment, he waited until she accepted that she could not get away from him. Finally, she quieted.

"I am your master now. This is the only warning that I will give you. You will speak to me with respect or you will be disciplined, harshly."

Rey's lips thinned with anger and her eyes blazed, but she remained silent. Good, he thought. She was learning.

"From now on, you will eat what I tell you, sleep where I tell you and do everything that I command. If you want more freedom you will need to earn it. Now sit on your cot until I say you may leave it."

Rey looked like she wanted to challenge him, but she swallowed down her rebellion. She watched him warily as he got up and moved about the room, collecting a towel and a fresh change of clothing from his closet. Walking into the fresher, he turned the water on in his shower and let the room steam up. He kept the door open. Taking one more glance at Rey, pleased to see that she remained on her cot, he turned his back to her. Kylo stripped off his remaining clothing and entered the shower.

Kylo didn't need to look back at her to know that she watched him. Kylo could practically taste her emotions. Shock and embarrassment radiated from her. Underneath it all, there was curiosity and attraction. The steam had become quite heavy so Kylo doubted she would see enough to satisfy her curiosity. If she was ever brave enough to admit it. Still, it pleased him to feel her eyes on him. To know that despite her outward protestations, she was drawn to him.

Pretending to ignore her, Kylo went about his routine. Washing his hair and body. His back was to her, so he allowed himself a slight smile of satisfaction.

Exiting the shower, he left it running while he finished toweling off and putting on a new pair of cloths. Entering his bedroom, he was pleased to see she had not moved from her pallet. Her cheeks were a blaze of scarlet and she kept her gaze staring fixedly at the ground.

He went back to his closet and selected another set of toiletries and clothing for her before setting it down beside her. She still refused to look up at him.

"You may now use the refresher to clean yourself."

Kylo didn't think she could get any more embarrassed. He delighted in her discomfort.

Picking up the supplies, Rey rose without looking at him. She kept her gaze fixed on the ground. Entering the refresher, she tried to close the door only to find the controls would not respond to her touch.

"You have not earned the right to privacy," he told her.

If looks could kill, he would have dropped dead in an instant. Murderous intent blazed in Rey's eyes, but she kept her mouth shut. In fact, she squeezed her lips together so tightly, they practically disappeared.

Taking small pity on the girl, he picked up a tablet and began scrolling though the list of messages that had accumulated during his training session with Rey. This was as much leeway as he was willing to give her.

"If you refuse to bathe yourself, I will come in there and do it for you. It is your choice, Rey."

Recognizing that this was no idle threat, Rey made quick work of her ablutions in the shower. Kylo kept his eyes on the tablet. He needed to prove to himself that he was strong enough to resist her. That he was the one with the power. Still, he basked in the sounds he heard from the shower and imagined how she must look. Her slim, naked form glistening as the water cascaded down her body. Taking a deep breath, he struggled to maintain his air of indifference.

The water turned off and a few minutes later, Rey entered the bedroom. Her hair a damp tangle around her face.

"Come with me," he commanded.

She followed him slowly out of the bedroom. Clearly warry of what would happen next.

Kylo led the way to the small personal dining room in his chambers and gestured for her to sit. She slid silently into the seat, her eyes tracking his every movement.

"Eat and rest," he commanded. "When I return, we will begin your meditative training."

With that, he walked out of the room. He would not take his meals with her. Not yet. She had not earned the privilege. He had duties to attend to and as much as he would like to remain with Rey, he needed to return to them. Besides, he knew he could only push so far without breaking her. She had obeyed him. It was enough for now.


	26. Chapter 25

Chapter 25

Chewie landed the Falcon as close as he could to the last location transmitted from Rey's tracking beacon. A preliminary sweep showed them that the area had recently flooded and that there were no life signs in the immediate vicinity. Finn didn't know if that was a positive sign or not.

Stepping off the ramp, Finn was unprepared to have his foot sink into about six inches of mud.

"Agh," he complained. "Chewie, you couldn't have landed us any closer?"

The Wookie replied in his typical aggravated tone. Finn didn't think the two of them would ever get along, but he was fairly confident that Chewie didn't mean it when he said that he would pull Finn's arms out.

"Here Rose, give me your hand. The footing is treacherous."

Rose scoffed and marched right past him. Finn still didn't know what he had done to set her off or how to make it better. Finn could care less if Chewie hated him, but Rose's attitude stung. Finn attempted to broach the topic several times but every time he did, Rose turned away from him and found something on the Falcon that needed fixing. The ship was old, but Finn was fairly confident that it didn't need that much work.

Pulling his foot out of the mud, Finn watched Rose for a minute before heading out after her. Now was not the time to worry about what was going on between them. Rey was missing. If they were lucky, they would find a clue somewhere that would lead them to her. Although, looking at the muddy terrain, Finn was not sure that they would find anything in this muck. This planet was a hellhole and he couldn't wait to leave and never come back.

Finn marched as quickly as he could to catch up to Rose. Life signs or not, this area was clearly treacherous, and he didn't want Rose walking into anything alone. It didn't matter if she hated his guts right now. He wasn't about to leave her unprotected.

Finn gave a short bark of laughter as he imagined telling Rose that she needed his protection. She would probably knock him out with that stunner she kept on her hip. For such a little thing, that weapon packed a punch. Just like Rose.

The path narrowed the closer they got to the ravine. The mud also got deeper. It was so deep it sucked Finn's boot right off his foot.

"Hey Rose, hold up a second. I lost my boot."

Rose turned to look back at him. Her annoyed expression transformed to one of mirth as she took in the sight of him. She was able to hold back her laugh for about a second before it burst out of her. She laughed so hard that she bowed at the waist.

"It isn't that funny."

Still, Finn had to concede that he probably looked pretty comical right now. He was perched on one foot with his arms extended to keep his balance while he tried to keep his other foot out of the mud. Sadly, his wardrobe had seen better days and the sock that was exposed had a huge hole in it. His big toe was clearly visible.

"Whatever you say twinkle toes."

"Hey, how about a little help here."

The missing shoe was about a foot behind him and Finn struggled to get his foot back in the tall boot without falling over. The last thing he needed was to fall into the mud.

Still laughing, Rose made her way back to him. She tried pulling the boot out of the mud, but it was well and truly stuck.

"Okay twinkle toes just hold onto me and guide your foot back."

Finn rested his hand on Rose's shoulder and held tight to keep his balance.

"I am not twinkle toes," he growled out.

"Are you sure about that?"

Finn couldn't help but smile. He was so glad that Rose was speaking to him again. If she kept smiling at him, he didn't think he cared if she called him a thousand different names.

"Ha ha, very funny."

Finn managed to get the boot back onto his foot, but he still needed Rose's help to get out of the mud. It held tight and when it finally released, it did so with a wet sucking sound.

They laughed together, and Finn was relieved to see that when the laughing died down, Rose still smiled at him. It made his stomach flip whenever her smile was directed at him. The pair walked the rest of the way to the mouth of the ravine side by side.

Their mirth died once they saw the first downed man. He lay a few feet from the mouth of the ravine. He was clearly dead, and the manner of his death sent a cold chill down Finn's spine. He knew that wound. He had suffered it firsthand. A lightsaber killed this man.

Moving as quickly as possible, Finn and Rose made their way through the ravine. Blaster fire was evident in the rockface and more men lay scattered on the ground. None had survived.

"Maybe Rey got her saber working again," Rose said. From her tone it was clear that she didn't believe that was what happened. She was trying to keep Finn's hopes alive.

Finn couldn't speak. He went from body to body checking to see if any of them were Rey or if any of them were still alive. Finn's terror for his friend grew with each body he saw mangled by lightsaber. He knew of only one group besides the Jedi that used sabers, the Knights of Ren.

The Knights of Ren were spoken of in hushed whispers throughout the First Order. They were like the boogeymen of a child's nightmare. They operated completely independent of any chain of command. They were also able to assume command of any mission or commandeer any ship or equipment that they wanted at a moment's notice. It drove Hux insane. On top of all that, their identities were completely unknown. The only exception was Kylo Ren. While their identities were shrouded in mystery their handiwork was not. The savagery of their attacks had caused more than one officer to lose their lunch. As much as Finn's mind fought against it, there was no mistaking who murdered these men.

Finn dropped into the mud and began digging at the spot that Rey's beacon had last transmitted. He was frantic. Heedless of the muck, he used his bare hands like a shovel. His hands stilled when they came upon the beacon. The strap had been torn. There was no way that it had just slipped from Rey's wrist. No, this had been wrenched from her before being crushed.

Finn felt sick. He knew who had Rey. His friend was in the hands of a monster. The same monster who had maimed him. The same monster responsible for the slaughter of innocent villagers on Jakku. Kylo Ren.


	27. Chapter 26

Chapter 26

Rey sat for a long-time contemplating what she should do next. It was clear that she needed to escape. The situation with Kylo Ren was beyond her understanding. Something had changed dramatically. He was not the same person that she fought with in Snoke's throne room.

Their situation was escalating, and Rey feared where it might take her. She no longer felt like she had any control and she no longer had confidence in her ability to handle Kylo. There had always been darkness in him but there had also been light. Before, if she had to use one word to describe Kylo, she would have said "conflict."

She no longer sensed the roiling pull between light and dark within him anymore. While there still was some light, it seemed to have settled into the background. It was as if the war within Kylo Ren had finished and the darkness had claimed the majority of his soul.

That in and of itself confused Rey. She expected that all dark side users would feel like Snoke. When she was in Snoke's presence it was as if a chill settled into her very bones. The former leader of the First Order was like a living wound to Rey's senses. Every part of her recoiled at being near him.

But she didn't feel that way about Kylo. Despite being solidly on the dark side, she still felt drawn to him. The most disturbing thing was that the connection felt right. It didn't feel like some sort of sick emotional manipulation, it felt like being whole.

She needed to get away.

Rummaging through the room, she didn't find any spare weapons lying around. Not that she seriously thought there would be. Kylo wasn't stupid.

The rooms were spartan at best. Nothing decorative or superfluous. In fact, there was nothing personal at all. Even Kylo's wardrobe only had a few changes of clothing and everything was either a uniform or training outfit. Apparently being the Supreme Leader of the First Order didn't come with many perks.

Even on Jakku, Rey kept a few personal items. The rebel helmet, a dried flower and a small ragdoll. She even marked the walls to highlight every day that passed. These things that made the Imperial Walker feel like home. But there was nothing here to signify that this was Kylo's home. Nothing personal at all. With a shudder she realized that she was wrong. There were two personal touches. The first was the all-consuming connection with the dark side that permeated every inch of this place. The second was her.

Rey shuddered when she contemplated that. For a man that eschewed all material things and sentimentality, he still came for her.

Rey didn't want to focus on that. It felt too much like being back in the cave. Instead, she continued her search for anything that would help her get out of this mess. She did another lap around the rooms before kicking over one of the dining room chairs in frustration. It hit the ground with a solid thunk. Considering the chair, Rey lifted it back into position. It seemed to be constructed out of solid metal. Looking at the legs of the chair, Rey got an idea. The metal was much too thick for her to bend using her physical strength but maybe if she used the Force, she could pry off one of the legs.

Focusing all her energy on one leg, she imagined pinching the metal in on itself. Sweat broke out on her forehead but eventually the metal collapsed in on itself. Even this was exhausting. Still it was progress and there was no going back now. She doubted Kylo would be pleased and there was no way to know how long he would be gone.

Rey only gave herself a short break before trying to use her physical strength to bend the chair leg back and forth to break it free from the rest of the chair. It was working but the leg still had not detached. Taking a big breath, Rey once again tried with the Force. Finally, the leg ripped free and crashed into the wall.

Picking it up, Rey tested its weight and found it to be reassuringly heavy. She smiled to herself, it wasn't the worst tool she had ever used. Lifting the leg, she brought it down on the control panel for the door. The gash it made was not large, but it was enough to allow her to use the Force to rip the cover panel clear off. Once that was done, it was just a matter of rewiring the door and she was out of the room.

Rey paused before entering the hallway. She halfway expected for an alarm to sound once the door opened. She needed to be fast. There was no guarantee that she had not triggered a silent alarm. For all she knew, soldiers were on their way. Or worse, Kylo was coming. She needed to move.

A sense of déjà vu filled Rey. This was eerily like her escape on Starkiller base. She was alone in enemy territory with no idea where she was or how she was going to escape. However, unlike Starkiller base, Rey had a much better command of the Force this time around.

Moving quickly and silently down hallway, Rey retraced the path she and Kylo had taken earlier. There didn't seem to be anyone around. She could sense the presence of other people in the area, but none were in her immediate vicinity.

Rey tried to let the Force guide her, but the dark side was so strong here. It fogged her senses. Eventually, Rey came across two guards. Glancing around the corner, she took a deep breath and threw the chair leg with all her might. She backed up her with the Force. The leg knocked the first guard unconscious, but it merely stunned the second guard. She had to launch herself at him to keep him from radioing for help. Their struggle lasted a few seconds before Rey knocked him out as well.

Looking down at the fallen guards, Rey eyed them both critically. The one on the right was much closer to her size. Stripping down, Rey replaced her clothing with the guard's uniform. It was too big for her but if she walked with confidence, she thought she might be able to withstand a passing glance.

Unfortunately, there was no where she could stash the two guards. Sighing, she would just have to take her chances. Rey walked briskly. She rounded several corners and was distressed to find she was getting nowhere fast.

She needed to find a hanger soon. The longer this took the more likely it was that she would be discovered. She had no idea how long Kylo would be gone and one of those guards could wake up and raise the alarm. Taking a deep breath and forcing herself to stay calm, Rey kept walking.

….

Kylo received the notification that his door had opened the second that it happened. He knew he should feel angry about Rey disobeying him, but he was looking forward to her punishment too much. Besides, it was expected that that she would try to escape. He would be a fool to think she wouldn't.

This would be an invaluable lesson for Rey. There was no where for her to go. Her place was with him.

Still, Kylo had to admit that Rey was very resourceful. He could not take any chances. No precaution was too severe, especially at this point in her training. The fortress was already sparsely populated. His Grandfather had made sure that everything could be maintained by the minimal amount of intervention. Still, Kylo had ordered ninety percent of the staff to withdraw to space. They took every ship capable of leaving except for his personal fighter.

Kylo left the command center to begin the hunt. Anticipation flooded his veins. Using the force, Kylo reached out to find Rey. She was close.

Moving quickly through the fortress, Kylo closed the distance between them. Entering the East wing, he spotted her at the end of the hallway. His lip quirked when he saw her weapon. Where had she gotten a hunk of metal, he mused. He thought he had removed everything that could be used as a weapon from his chambers. She was nothing if not resourceful.

Rey didn't pause in her flight. The second that he entered the hallway she broke into a flat run. She was very quick. Still, Kylo had the advantage of height. She could not outrun him. This would be over soon. Or so he thought.

Without looking behind her, Rey tossed the hunk of metal over her shoulder. Instead of dropping to the ground, it rocketed towards his head, clearly driven by the Force. Kylo didn't break stride as he applied a subtle amount of the Force to alter the its trajectory just enough not to hit him. He was so focused on her that he didn't notice that the metal had reversed course after him. It struck him hard on the back of the head. The blow dropped him to his knees and left him stunned for several moments.

Now he allowed his rage to fill him. It practically hummed in his veins. He gave a small grunt of aggravation and pushed himself back up. Reaching behind his head, he found that it came away bloody. It had been a solid blow.

Rey was now out of sight but Kylo could hear her own scream of frustration. She must have found the hanger. The sight of the completely barren room must have been quiet the blow to her plans. Good, he thought.

Entering the large chamber, Kylo spotted Rey in the center of the room. Clearly, she was more than a little aggravated to find the hanger empty. Rounding on him, she used that frustration to push him back with the Force. It was a solid attempt. Given more training, she might have been able to keep him at bay, but she still didn't know how to harness her anger effectively. No matter, she had plenty of time to learn.

He returned her assault with one of his own. She fell to the ground and he used her stunned state to pull her towards him. Once she was close enough, he reached down and gripped her hard on her upper arms. He spun her around to look out at the hanger and lowered his mouth till it was brushing her ear.

"I took the precaution of ordering all of the ships off planet."

Rey didn't respond with words. She viciously whipped her head back at him. Clearly, she intended to bash his nose in. If he had not expected her move, he would be in a world of pain. She could be a savage little thing. Kylo loves her fire. Someday soon, that passion would be his to savor. But first he had to tame her.

"Tsk, tsk," he says with false sympathy. "I told you what would happen if you disobeyed me Rey. What comes next was your choice, not mine."


	28. Chapter 27

Chapter 27

Poe didn't contact Leia when he landed. There was no time for any delays. He made copies of the video files and transmitted them to multiple news organizations. The galaxy had to see the First Order for what it really was.

Poe knew it would might take several hours for the information to broadcast but the important thing was that everyone would see the First Order for what it really was. They would not be able to dispute the footage. It was too damning. He had attached a brief personal statement with the footage explaining who he was and why he did it.

Smiling to himself, Poe felt proud. He would be the one to take the First Order down and he didn't need to fire a shot to do it. Poe felt certain that General Organa would be impressed by his strategy and by how much he had grown. He finally understood that not everything needed to be by jumping into his cockpit and blowing stuff up.

Phase one complete, Poe set out to find Gala Vash. The old man would not put him off this time. He was going to hear what Poe had to say.

Storming into Gala Vash's base of operations, Poe tried to muscle by the sentries.

"Let me pass you idiots. I have important information for Gala Vash."

The sentries blocked his path and Poe felt his irritation rise. He didn't want to hurt these men, but Poe would not be stopped. This was too important. When one sentry put a hand to Poe's chest, he reacted instantly. Poe grabbed the man's wrist and twisted it harshly. The man dropped to his knees in pain.

The second sentry pulled his blaster and leveled it right next at Poe's head. Poe kept his hold on the first man but turned to address the second sentry. He kept is tone light and conversational.

"I just need to speak to Gala Vash. I have information vital to our survival."

The sentry didn't acknowledge his words and kept his gun raised. The man's gaze didn't waver. He stared back at Poe with a hard expression. Clearly, Poe was getting nowhere. He needed to think of something.

Before Poe could find a solution, Gala Vash appeared at the door.

"Commander, please release my guard."

Gala Vash appeared completely unruffled by the chaos before him. He took in the scene with little more than a raised eyebrow. Poe released his grip on the guard and smiled as the other sentry lowered his blaster.

Poe move closer to Gala Vash. However, as soon as he saw who was following the aged rebel leader, Poe stopped in his tracks. The same two First Order ambassadors were standing right behind Gala Vash. Poe's earlier irritation morphed into outright anger. What were they still doing here? Taking a deep breath, Poe forced himself to remain calm. They didn't matter. Soon these two interlopers would be out on their asses. There was no arguing with the evidence that Poe had in his possession.

The male ambassador, Poe never bothered to learn his name, glowered at Poe with no little hostility. The man practically vibrated with anger. Good, Poe thought. All of your scheming has come to an end you worthless swap rat.

Poe expected to see a similar expression of the face of the female ambassador. Instead of anger, the woman's expression radiated sadness and pity. Poe wanted to laugh in her face. Her fake sentimentality wouldn't sway anyone in a few moments. Everyone would see the First Order for what it really was.

Not waiting, Poe activated the mini holo projector on his wrist. A small image appeared about half a foot above Poe's outstretched wrist. Footage of the First Order soldiers throwing bodies onto the fire played in a loop.

"I am so glad you two are here. Why don't you explain to us why the First Order is killing Yakobas?"

Neither representative lowered their gaze. The heartless monsters didn't even have the decency to look guilty, Poe thought. He was completely unprepared for what came next.

The female ambassador was the first to speak. She was a great actress, Poe would give her that. Her expression was one of heartbreak and her voice was full of sorrow.

"The First Order didn't kill the Yakobas, Commander Dameron. You did."

….

Not for the first time, Leia wondered when her fight will be over. Her entire life seemed to be one long battle. She knows that isn't strictly true. She was a teenager when she joined her father in the fight against the Empire. She did have a few cherished years of peace. Golden years when she had been a child who was loved by her parents and thought the universe was full of goodness. She realizes now how much her parents sheltered her during those early years.

She doesn't blame them. What parent wouldn't want to hide the ugliness of the universe from their child? Leia tried to do the same for Ben. She never wanted him to find out about Vader and their family's dark history. But just like Bale couldn't shield Leia, Leia couldn't shield Ben. Now her son was lost to her.

War was horrific enough, but to know your flesh and blood was on the opposite side was an especially cruel agony. She barely knew Vader but when Luke told her of their connection everything in her had rebelled at the idea that anyone in her family could be part of something so evil. She rejected Vader and all that he stood for to this day. Luke said Vader was redeemed before the end, but she could never bring herself to forgive him. Not for the first time she considers that the reason she won't forgive Vader is because he was her biological father.

Now her son was a part of that evil. No, she scolds herself. Not just a part of it, the leader. Her son is now directly responsible for every heinous act committed by the First Order.

Instead of getting easier with time, keeping up the fight has only gotten harder. The weight of all that has come before feels suffocating. A small part of her wonders if she could finally lay this burden down. To step aside and let someone else carry on. She knows she never will. She will never stop fighting for peace. Even if means fighting against the only family she has left.

Leia thinks on all of this as she watches the news report play out. The damning footage is on nearly every channel. Political pundits levy their opinions about how these latest revelations will impact the trials as well as if planets will refuse First Order aid.

Leia barely registers what they are saying. Something about this feels off. She doesn't know why, but dread fills her. Some inkling in the Force was telling her to be wary.

The First Order has already issued a time for a press conference to discuss the footage. This by itself tells Leia that something is not right. The press conference is scheduled for an hour from now. Leia doesn't know how the First Order will address these new charges, but something tells her that it will not go the way she thinks.

For the millionth time, Leia wishes that Poe would learn patience. As a fighter pilot, instant reactions save lives. But they aren't in a dogfight right now. No, they are playing the long game and in the long game, instant reactions are rarely the right ones.

Poe should have contacted her before disseminating the footage. This is all happening way too fast. Now they have no control over the situation. Leia knows that Poe's heart is in the right place, but she can't shake this feeling of dread. Something bad was coming and Leia fears it was coming for Poe.


	29. Chapter 28

Chapter 28

Kylo Ren savored the feeling of having Rey so close to him. A part of him was grateful for her little rebellion. It saved him the trouble of inventing a reason to do what he really wanted to do.

"Clearly you cannot be trusted to remain by yourself. I tried to be lenient with you but that ends now. From here on out, you will always be in my presence. Whatever independence you would have had is now revoked."

Rey stopped her frantic pacing to look at him with disbelief.

"What on earth are you saying?"

Her tone was full of incredulity. Kylo hopped that she never fully lost that naivete she possessed. He found it charming.

"You are much too strong to be left alone and no one else can properly guard you. So, it falls to me to see that you stay in line." He kept is tone monotonous and bored. It would not do to show her how much he wanted this.

"You're mad if you think I can stay near you for one more second."

Her words stung far more than they should but Kylo steeled his resolve. It was unrealistic to think she would come around so quickly. She still denied who he was and who they were together.

"If you want any measure of independence, it will need to be earned. Now come here."

"What, it isn't enough that we are in the same room together?" Her sneering tone frayed Kylo's last nerve.

Using the Force, he lifted her and set her down in front of him. He enjoyed the sight of her glaring up at him for a few moments before sitting down in front of her. She tried to back away but he held tight.

"Give me your hands," he commanded.

Rey looked like she wanted to tell him off but his intense look stopped whatever rude response she was going to give him.

"Your lessons for today are not over. Give me your hands." His tone was even harder now, each word coming out clipped.

Slowly Rey raised her hands to his. She was clearly wary of what came next but was afraid to push him any farther. Smart girl he thought. They sat cross-legged facing each other. They were so close that their knees touched. Kylo could feel the tension radiating off her. He on the other hand was perfectly at ease. Taking one of her hands by the wrist, he turned it over so that her hand rested palm up on his own. He then did the same with her other hand.

The backs of her hands were much softer than he would have imagined given that she had lived most of her life in a desert. It took a large part of his resolve not to caress her. Instead, he focused on her face and stuck to the lesson.

She looked down at their hands with no small amount of confusion.

"What are we doing?" She asked, warily.

"Your meditative skills need work. Your grasp of the Force is tenuous at best." He kept is tone matter of fact.

Her nose scrunched up in the most adorable fashion as she sputtered her response. "My grasp of the Force got me out of this room and nearly off of this planet."

"Yes, Rey. Nearly."

Her anger spiked and she moved to get away from him. He tightened his grip on her hands to keep her in place.

"You are not able to access your full potential because you deny half of yourself," he explained patiently.

"What are you talking about?"

"The balance in the Force does not come from pitting the light against the dark. That only furthers conflict. Balance comes from the individual embracing all aspects of their nature. Both the light and the dark exist within us all. To deny one part is to deny oneself, and a person in conflict with who they are can never really master anything."

Rey stopped her struggles at his words. Clearly, this was not how she imagined this interaction would go.

"You fear the dark and deny that it is a part of you when that is not true. You are not some monastic judge, you have far too much passion for that."

"I will never succumb to the dark side," she said defiantly.

"Allowing the dark to overpower you is not our goal. Our goal is to find the balance of light and dark within you. You cannot find balance if you wholeheartedly reject what is already a part of you."

Rey moved to speak again but Kylo was tired of words. Better to show her than to waste any more time arguing. Channeling the Force through him, he allowed the dark side to wash over himself and flow into Rey.

She was unprepared for the onslaught and unable to raise any defenses.

…..

Rey felt the dark side cascade over her. It overwhelmed her senses and she felt her consciousness float away on its powerful tide. For a while she could not focus her thoughts, she was just lost on a sea of sensations.

If the light side was defined by reason and detachment, the dark was defined by instinct and passion. Rey had to admit, there was something very familiar with these sensations. It wasn't like when she experienced the dark side with Snoke. That had felt sinister and corrupting. This was something altogether different.

All emotions were present in this sea, not just the hate and anger that Rey expected. There was love, joy and the desire to protect here as well. Rey knew that these emotions could easily be corrupted into jealousy and possessiveness but here, in the heart of vast ocean, Rey knew that it was the individual force wielder that yielded to corruption. Good and evil had nothing to do with the light and dark. They were two sides of the same coin.

Rey had always desired connections. To have a family that cherished her and to have people that she loved in return. The Jedi preached that connections and attachment corrupted the force wielder. But Rey never understood that. Surely her desire to love and to be love was only a positive. Family and friends taught people the importance of life and there was nothing wrong with trying to protect those that you love.

Gradually, Rey felt herself relax into the sensations. Embracing them and floating along with the currents. She didn't know how long she drifted. It could be hours or it could be years. She allowed it to wash over her. Slowly she became aware of a voice, calling out to her. The voice was quiet at first but progressively got louder. Rey felt like she recognized it but she didn't want to leave this place.

The voice became more insistent, pressing in on her skull. Why wouldn't the voice leave her alone to drift. The sea of sensation held her and embraced her. Finally, she recognized the voice, or at least she thought she did. Somehow, she knew the person speaking. There was a nagging sensation at the back of her mind. It was important that she remember.

The need to know broke the spell of sensation. She began to think again and not just feel. This place could not be real. She was somewhere else. The confusion she was feeling gave way to fear. The sea of sensation no longer felt safe. What unknown horrors could be swimming in its depths.

Panic was no setting in and Rey thrashed about, desperate to find a safe harbor. She wished that the voice was here with her. That it was something that she could grasp and hold on to.

"Easy sweetheart. I've got you."

The voice was deep, rich and masculine. Rey knew that she knew the voice but she could not for the life of her think from where. It was low and confident and Rey felt like it could help her.

"Where are you? Who are you?" Rey could hear the panic in her own tone but she was not ashamed. She didn't want to be alone here anymore. She never wanted to be alone.

"It is alright. Let me guide you."

The voice was calm and full of confidence. Rey wanted to trust it. She no longer felt safe in this place.

"Please," she cried. "I don't want to be alone anymore."

"You are not alone," the voice replied. "I am with you, always. Now reach out your hand. Let me guide you."

Rey reached out her hand and was relieved to feel it grasped in a strong hold. She still couldn't see who it was but she knew it was the voice. He had her. She wasn't alone anymore.

Rey nearly cred in relief. This was what she had always wanted. Someone who would come back for her. Rey felt herself being lifted from the sea. She didn't fight it, she allowed herself to be pulled along. She didn't know where she was going and frankly didn't care. Just so long as she wasn't alone.

….

Kylo watched as Rey groggily opened her eyes. The experience had clearly exhausted her and he knew that she was not entirely aware. Gently, he picked her up and carried her to their chambers. More than anything, he wanted to place Rey down in his bed but he knew it was much too soon for that. So instead he laid her down on her cot.

He felt reluctant to let her go. She looked so peaceful in her daze. As he moved to rise, she reached out and gripped his hand with a strength that defied her size.

"Don't leave me," came her whispered plea.

Kylo knew that she was still under the influence of the dark force meditation. Rey would never admit that to him, at least not yet. He doubted she would even recall this moment come morning. Still he knew he would be unable to leave her side.

Sitting down beside her, he stayed until she had fallen into a deep sleep. It was only then that she released his hand.


	30. Chapter 29

Chapter 29

Rey woke feeling groggy and with a killer headache. If she didn't know any better she would have sworn she spent the night breathing in exhaust fumes from a speeder.

Taking a look around, she saw that she was alone in the bedroom. Kylo's bed was made with the same precision she had come to expect from the First Order. Everything was in its proper place, all sharp edges and crisp lines. Rey left her pallet in a heap. After all, what was the point of making her bed when she was just going to climb into it again?

For a second, Rey contemplated jumping in to Kylo's bed just to mess it up. The thought of his face as he took in her tiny rebellion brought a smile to her lips. However, she didn't act on the impulse. She would never admit it, but she was scared to touch his bed. It seemed like that might cross some kind of line and she was not sure if she was ready to face the fallout of that particular transgression.

Still, that didn't mean that he was going to cower her. Squaring her shoulders and lifting her chin, Rey strutted out of the bedroom with all the confidence that she could muster. She found Kylo in the dining room. He didn't look up at her as she entered the room. His attention was solely focused in the data pad in his hand.

Deciding to follow his example, Rey plopped down in the chair farthest away from him and surveyed the food options. It was quite a spread. If Rey didn't know any better, she would have thought that more people were going to join them but Kylo didn't seem like the type to socialize more than he had to.

Rey didn't waste any time selecting her food. Like anyone who had ever come close to starvation, Rey would never pass up the opportunity to eat. She selected one of everything. However, when she tried a piece of savory bread she got up for a second slice before she had even finished the first. It was delicious.

"How is your head?"

The questions shocked Rey so much that a piece of food fell out of her mouth. Luckily, Kylo's eyes were still glued to his data pad so he didn't see her little dining faux pas. Quickly closing her mouth and swallowing down the remaining food within it, Rey stuttered a response.

"It feels like a bantha sat on it. What in the name of the seven stars was that?"

A small smile tugged at the corners of Kylo's mouth. He set down the data pad poured himself a cup of coffee. Picking up the cup, he moved to sit next to her. Rey squirmed slightly in her seat. This was getting a little to jovial.

"What do you remember?"

"Not a lot. It is all very fuzzy. At first, I think it was nice. It felt like floating in warm bath water."

Kylo studied her face intently as she spoke.

"Wasn't that what you experienced?"

Kylo paused before answering. "No. My experience was…different. Dark meditation is a highly personal and unique experience. The user's psyche and emotions shape the environment so no two people experience the same thing."

"So, what is it like for you?"

"For me, it is like standing in a burning field."

Rey chocked a little before replying. "That sounds awful."

"It was quite painful at first. I had to learn to control the flames to keep from getting burned. Pain can be incredibly motivator."

The quiet horror of Kylo's words brought Rey back to her senses. This entire situation was madness. They were sitting here, having a seemingly polite conversation over breakfast all the while ignoring the fact that she was his prisoner.

Setting down her fork. Rey decided to confront the issue head on.

"What are we doing here Kylo?" She kept her voice quiet and reasonable. There was no hint of challenge in her tone.

"Right now, you are eating and I am drinking coffee. After you are done, we will begin a series of Force manipulation exercise before moving on to a sparring session."

"You know what I mean."

"Yes, I do. The problem is that you don't. You think you understand who you are, what the rebellion stands for and what the Force is but all of your beliefs are based on incorrect assumptions and lopsided facts."

Kylo's voice became harder the more he spoke and Rey felt her anger growing with each word. Grasping the fork tightly in her hand, she bit out a menacing reply.

"You are insane. I thought it was just Snoke poisoning your mind but that isn't it at all. There is no redemption for you. You want this." Rey rose from her seat and gestured widely about the room. "You want all of this."

Kylo's stare was as hard as obsidian. Without a move or gesture to betray his intent, Rey felt herself flung out of the dining room and into living room. She toppled over the back of a couch but managed to land on her feet, fork still grasped in her hand.

Kylo rose menacingly and stalked towards her. "Fine, we will begin today with the sparing session."

With that, he launched himself into the attack, holding nothing back.

…

Rose told herself for the millionth time not to get annoyed. Finn was just concerned for his friend and he had every right to be worried if he was correct about who took Rey. Rose even liked Rey. While she wouldn't say that they were best friends she admired the young woman's pluck and strength.

It took a set of Phrik balls to steal Snoke's personal escape craft after taking out the Supreme Leader's personal guard.

Still, she didn't like how broody and morose Finn got every time something happened to the baby Jedi. It was like nothing else mattered the second that Rey got into trouble.

"Chewie can't this hunk of junk fly any faster?" It was the same question that Finn had asked the last three times.

Rose interceded before the temperamental Wookie could tear Finn's arms out. Chewie didn't take kindly to anyone insulting the Falcon.

Grabbing Finn by the back of his shirt, Rose pulled him out of the cockpit.

"Hey Rose, what gives?"

"Exactly, what gives? Everyone is doing all that we can to help Rey. Your incessant pestering is not helping matters. There is nothing else we can do except regroup with Leia and the rest of the resistance to plan out next sets. You are driving Chewie and me crazy and if you don't watch yourself you will find yourself floating back to Kashyyyk in an escape pod."

Finn's face twisted into a mask of indignation but before he could respond, Rose hit him with another question. This one stunned him nearly as bad as that time by the escape pods.

"What is the deal with you and Rey anyway? What are you two? Are you like a couple or something? Do you want to be a couple with Rey?"

"What?! No," Finn sputtered.

"Cause you sure act like it. In fact, every time Rey…"

Rose's comments were lost as Finn's mouth locked onto hers. Rose was so shocked that for a moment she didn't move. She couldn't get past the fact that Finn was kissing her. Her, not Rey.

Before Rose could really get into the kiss, Finn broke away.

Taking a deep breath, Finn replied "No, I am not interested in Rey like that. She is my friend. The first real friend that I ever had. She was the first person to look at me like I was a human being and not some cog in the wheel. That matters to me. She matters to me, and I need you to be okay with that if this is going to go any further."

Now it was Rose's turn to be at a loss. Her mind couldn't seem to process how that tables had turned on her. She was still stuck on the fact that he had kissed her.

Finn was looking down at her with an intense expression. Clearly, he was waiting for a response. Bringing her hand to her mouth and blinking several times, Rose came up with the wittiest, most eloquent response she could muster. "Okay," she mumbled.

"Good," Finn replied before kissing her again and moving back into the cockpit.

Rose stayed out in the hallway for several more moments before deciding to check on the damper fields. Yeah, she told herself. She had planned to check on the damper fields all along. It wasn't just because they were as far away from the cockpit and incidentally Finn as she could get. They just really needed to be checked.


	31. Chapter 30

Chapter 30

Kylo had to admit, as far as sparing exercises went, that one was certainly vigorous. Typically, he liked to give his breakfast a little more time to settle before moving on to more physical training but if Rey needed to get this out of her system first thing, so be it.

The living room was completely destroyed. It looked as if a hurricane had swept through the room. Not a single piece of furniture had been spared. No matter he thought, it was worth it to settle Rey down a little bit.

Looking over, he saw she was still lying on her back taking deep breaths.

"That is enough of a break. We are already behind schedule. Get up. We need to get moving."

The look that Rey gave him was so menacing that Kylo made a mental note not to teach her how to do a Force choke until after he had won her trust.

Still Kylo was grateful to see that she sat up without comment and assumed the same cross-legged position that they had assumed yesterday for the Force meditation. Good, she was learning to follow his instructions, albeit begrudgingly.

"I said we are behind schedule. Meditation will have to wait until this evening. I still have an empire to run."

"Good," came Rey's petulant response. "Go run your evil empire. I am going back to bed."

"How quickly you forget, Rey. Your punishment from your earlier escape attempt is still in effect. You will not leave my side."

"Fine," she responded. "But you will regret it. Believe me, you will."

Kylo didn't respond. He just walked into the bedroom and started taking off his clothing. Casting a glance over his shoulder he saw that Rey was still seated and that she had turned bright red.

"Come on Rey. I won't have you delay us any longer."

Kylo didn't think she could get any redder but apparently, he was wrong.

"I will be in after you. I am the queen of fast showers."

"The shower is big enough for two and we are already late. Get a move on or you will add to your punishment."

"You can't be serious."

"I won't repeat myself again."

They starred at each other and just as Kylo was about to force the issue, Rey got up and started walking towards him. Satisfied that she was following, Kylo finished undressing and turned on the shower. Within moments, the temperature was ideal and Kylo stepped in. He took the set of sprayers towards the back of the shower. It took every bit of resolve that he possessed not to look back. The soft footfalls behind him as well as the sounds of furious scrubbing confirmed that Rey had joined him.

Kylo took his time. Letting the warm water run down his body to work out any aches and muscle knots from their earlier sparing. She had certainly given him a workout this morning. With a little more training Rey would be ready to take on any opponent that might challenge her. Kylo wanted her fierce. He wanted others to quake before her. She was his other half and he wanted nothing and no one to stand in her way.

Keeping his eyes closed he turned to let the water strike his back. He dipped his head back and rinsed his dark hair. It was getting long, even by his standards. Just as he turned, Kylo thought he heard a sharp intake a breath and then he heard the other faucet turn off and the sound of quickly retreating steps. When Kylo emerged from the shower, Rey was already dressed and furiously drying her hair. She was also doing everything in her power not to look at him.

Kylo smirked and stepped out into the bedroom with his towel hanging precariously from his lean hips. He ignored Rey as he went about dressing but knew that she was unable to ignore him. His smirk grew into an outright grin as she gave up on drying her hair and practically ran from the bedroom.

When Kylo emerged from the bedroom, he found her standing by the door tapping her foot. Her damp locks leaving pools on her shirt. He retreated back into the bedroom to pick her towel off of the floor as well as a comb.

"Come here," he commanded.

Rey looked like a skittish fathier but she did as he commanded.

He sat on the edge of his bed and when she neared him, he grasped her arm and firmly but gently directed her to sit on the ground between his legs. Once seated, he took the towel and dried her locks until they no longer left pools behind on her shoulders. Then he took the comb and began running it through her hair.

"What are you doing?" Rey's voice was high and full of anxiety. Clearly, she wasn't used to someone doing this for her.

"Isn't it obvious," came his droll reply. "I am combing your hair."

The rigidity of Rey's back betrayed her nervousness but gradually she relaxed under his ministrations. Kylo carefully combed small sections of her hair until all of the knots were untangled. She didn't ask him anymore questions as he silently worked.

When he was finished he gave her the comb and told her to put it back on the dresser. She did as he asked and then met him out in the living room. Kylo waited for her and as she approached he handed her a piece of the savory breakfast bread and a container of water.

Rey stared at the items dumbly before following him out of the door.

"Eat," he commanded.

…

Rey didn't know what to think. At first, the morning had gone the only way that she thought that it could, with the two of them fighting.

It hadn't been and easy training exercise either. The fight seemed like a test of dominance with neither party willing to give an inch. Unfortunately for Rey, Kylo's size and superior technique won out in the end. Still she took comfort in the fact that she made him work for it.

Then the entire universe shifted. Rey remembered his comment about her punishment but she didn't think that he meant every single second. And she certainly didn't think that he meant in the shower.

Rey thought she was going to die from mortification as she stripped down and climbed into the bathing chamber with him. His back had been to her and try as she might, she couldn't stop looking at him. There was not an ounce of fat on him. He looked like he was sculpted from carbonite. And the way his long locks cascaded under the water…. really, she couldn't be blamed from staring. Rey admitted that in the end, she gave up any pretense of ignoring him. Really, how could she? At least until he turned around.

Rey had never seen a naked human male before. There were some species on Jakku that eschewed all clothing but this was the first time that she had ever seen a member of her own species naked. Rey thought the image of him might be burned permanently onto her retinas. He looked just as good from the front as he had from the back. Broad shoulders, sculpted chest, mouthwatering abs all leading down to an appendage that literally caused her heart to skip a beat.

Rey had to get out of there. She couldn't handle the intensity of her reaction to him. This didn't make any sense. She had just been trying to bash his skull in minutes earlier. She thought that she would return to normal as soon as she but some distance between the two of them but as soon as he entered the room she lost the ability to function again. She just dropped the towel and got out of there. If the door leading outside hadn't been locked she would have just kept marching.

Even more embarrassing was that she was the only one reacting this way. It seemed easy enough for him to ignore her as they bathed together. He never peaked in her direction and he didn't seem to be the least bit perturbed by bathing with her. Had he seen so many naked females that the sight of them didn't impact him anymore? Was that the solution? Did she need to see more naked human males so that she could also be indifferent? Rey needed to get it together. There was no way she was going to find a way to escape if her mind and emotions were rioting like this.

Rey's blood froze in her veins when Kylo commanded her back into the bedroom. It was a testament to how jumbled her mind really was that she obeyed. The last thing she wanted right now was to be back in that room with him. What she needed was distance. Distance and time.

At least he was dressed. That should have helped more but Rey's mind kept flashing back to images of him in the shower. She really needed to get it together. She was prepared to pick another fight with him just to get back on more comfortable ground when the feel of the towel rigorously rubbing her scalp once again put her off her game plan. What in the name of the universe was he doing? Her confusion only deepened when he stopped drying her hair and started combing through it.

Never would Rey have ever thought that she would find herself in this situation. Fighting Kylo in a black fortress located in a sea of lava…. sure, why not? Being strapped to an interrogation chair while he tried to pry into her mind…been there done that. But gently combing her hair, never. This was all too much. Eventually she gave in to the surreal nature of the situation and just relaxed and enjoyed the feeling of the combing gliding through her hair. It was nice. Rey never spent this much time caring for her own hair. Vaguely she wondered if this was why Kylo's hair always looked perfect.

She was almost sad when it stopped. Almost. She needed to focus. Kylo was her enemy and clearly a master of manipulation. She needed to steel herself against his tricks. With that thought in mind she met him back in the living room only to have her resolve shattered once again when he handed her food. It was the same bread that she favored at breakfast. No one had ever taken care of her like this before. What was going on?


	32. Chapter 31

Chapter 31

Poe laughed so hard that tears actually came to his eyes. The look of shocked outrage on the face of the male ambassador only made him laugh harder. He laughed so hard it took him a minute to realize no one else was laughing. Sure, the First Order drones wouldn't find this funny but the other rebels….

Taking a look around the room, a sense of foreboding filled Poe. What was wrong with everyone? There was no way they would take the side of the First Order over him. He was Poe Dameron, the commander of Black Squadron. He had been handpicked by Leia Organa herself to act as her right hand. Why did it feel like everyone was siding with the First Order instead of him?

Laughter dying, Poe straighten to his full height and gave Gala Vash his complete attention. The so-called Rebel leader returned his gaze. The man's entire being radiated grim resignation. After a few tense moments, he broke eye contact with Poe and motioned for two more guards. The guards that Poe had already fought moved to his back as the new pair approached. Poe was trapped but the gravity of the situation didn't solidify until Poe saw the cuffs come out. He was being betrayed.

"You are going to turn me over to them. The enemy." It wasn't a question. Everyone knew what was happening.

Gala Vash didn't even have the decency to look ashamed. Instead he just replied, "Justice must be served and innocents are dead. Commander Dameron, I don't believe that you killed them on purpose but your actions cannot be ignored. People are dead and the evidence implicates you. A trial is necessary. A jury of your peers will weigh all of the facts and justice will be dispensed accordingly."

This got another laugh from Poe. Only this time it was mocking. "Sure, the Order is known for their fairness."

Poe didn't resist when the cuffs were placed on him. He was outnumbered and he knew it. He was going to have to rely on Leia to come to his aide and Poe had no doubts that the general would be there for him. Still, he couldn't resist getting in a parting shot as he was marched out.

"Everyone here is in chains. Mine are just visible."

…

Finn sat incredulous across from Leia. He never imagined that he would be having a conversation like this one with the General. Leia was the very heart and soul of the resistance. She was always the who had hope. She always had a plan. Her legend was undisputed even within the ranks of the First Order. So, when they arrived back on Kashyyyk this was the very last thing he expected from her.

"There is nothing that we can do for either Rey or Poe right now. Rushing in may only put them both in more danger."

Finn was still in stunned silence but he imagined that Chewie spoke for them both when the Wookie let out a plaintive growl that was equal parts sadness and disagreement.

"I don't like this any more than you do but rushing into things before we properly prepare is what got us into both of these situations in the first place."

The truth in Leia's words stung but Finn didn't want to admit it. Doing so felt like a betrayal to both Rey and Poe and they were family. They, along with Rose and Chewie, were everything to Finn. He wasn't going to blame them for what happened. Both of them acted out of good intentions. Intentions designed to save others. Finn wouldn't abandon them to the First Order.

Thankfully, Rose was able to speak and she echoed Finn's feelings. "With all due respect General Organa, we can't just leave them to the mercy of the First Order. They won't stand a chance."

Finn winced at the truthfulness of her words. Having spent almost the entirety of his life with the Order, Finn knew exactly what Rey and Poe were likely being subjected to. He wouldn't stand for it.

Landing on Kashyyyk, Finn had expected the planning of Rey's rescue operation to be well under way. He had prepared a speech to fight any objections to him being a part of that mission. Those arguments died in his mouth when he learned that Poe had also been captured. How could he help both of his friends?

At least they knew where Poe was being held. The First Order had released their supposed footage showing Poe tampering with the medical shipments during the press conference. The Order had spared nothing to defend themselves against the accusation that they were not actually providing aid to vulnerable populations. They had even given the original data files to multiple news organizations so that everyone could independently verify that the footage had not been tampered with. All of those organizations confirmed that the tapes were real. Finn didn't know how the First Order was fooling everyone but he knew his friend was not a killer. He also knew that they had to save him.

"This is bull."

The argument between Rose and Leia came to an abrupt halt at his sudden declaration.

"What was that?" The General's tone implied that she didn't care for Finn's tone.

"This is bull," Finn repeated. "The longer we stand here the more likely that they are going to execute Poe."

Leia's response would have withered a less determined individual. "The First Order is not going to blindly execute Poe after they announced to the entire system that they will let justice take its course. Poe has been arrested and is currently awaiting trial. That gives us time."

Finn wasn't willing to let Leia continue. "Time as a First Order prisoner. You know what that means."

"Yes, I do." There was no guilt or remorse in Leia's tone. Just the steely resolve that had gotten her through all of her past trials.

Finn saw that they were not going to find a solution. There was no point in arguing. He felt helpless to find Rey. That helplessness fueled his rage about what was happening to Poe. What the Rebels were allowing to happen to Poe. Finn would not stand for it. They couldn't do anything for Rey until they found her but he could do something for Poe.

Finn just turned and walked out. He didn't even register that Rose followed him until she tugged his arm and forced him to stop and look at her.

"Hey," she said. "It is okay. We are going to get them both back."

Rose lifted a hand to his face and looked deep in his eyes when she said it. Unable to form the words to let her know how much he cared for her, Finn simply reached out and wrapped his arms around her. They stood locked in an embrace for a long while. Neither wanting to break the moment. Finn buried his face in the top of Rose's hair, breathing in the scent of her. It calmed him and loosened the knot in his chest. Finally, Finn pulled back just enough to look into Rose's warm eyes.

"I can't wait to go after Poe. Trial or no, he isn't safe. Besides, there is no way that the First Order will give him a real trial. This is just a show for the galaxy. We need to get him now."

"Agreed," Rose replied. "So, what is the plan?"

"First we need a ship."

A slow smile grew on Rose's face. "I think we can manage that."


	33. Chapter 32

Chapter 32

Rey didn't know what the day of an evil dictator would be like but this was not what she expected. True to his word, Kylo kept her with him at all times. She attended every meeting and thus, was privy to every decision and action that the First Order made.

She imagined that when Snoke ruled, most decisions centered around which system to crush next. Now, most of what she heard centered on available resources, shipping routes and which systems were demanding aid. Rey snorted at that. Why would anyone request support from the First Order?

The most confusing part was that the First Order appeared to be helping. That bit of news shocked Rey to her very core. Bad guys didn't help. Something else had to be going on here. The simplest explanation was that the First Order was using this as an opportunity to gain access to the legitimate governments of the galaxy. Their aid was tainted. It came at a price and once the Order gained the access and legitimacy that it desired then the aid would stop.

Feeling confident that she was right, Rey stopped listening to the conversations going on around her. It wasn't like they were going to say anything around her that they didn't want her to hear. For all she knew this entire scene could be an act. She needed to focus her energy on an escape plan. There had to be a way out of here. The sooner she was gone the better.

Rey was so focused on her thoughts that she didn't register that Kylo had spoken to her until she felt his hand on her leg. The touch was firm and insistent. Rey got the impression that he had been trying to get her attention for a while. Looking up, Rey found Kylo staring at her intently, clearly waiting for a response. Well, he was just going to have to keep waiting. Rey had blocked out their conversation so she had no idea what they were talking about. And even if she did, Rey refused to be a part of this farce. Kylo could pretend to be the good guy all he liked but Rey knew who he was.

Kylo's grip on her leg hardened as did his stare. Turning back to the holo projector, he dismissed the assembled leadership before turning his attention back to her. Rey watched the images of the First Order leadership blink out one by one until only the two of them remained in the room.

"Explain yourself," he ordered.

Rey couldn't help herself, she snorted. Fine, if Kylo wanted all of the cards on the table so be it.

"You can keep me here for now but don't think for a second that I am going to be a willing participant in all of this."

"This what?" Kylo countered.

"This farce where you pretend to be the good guy."

Kylo's jaw clenched in response to her words.

"You seem very confident in your opinions for someone who didn't even listen to half of what was said."

To this Rey outright laughed in his face.

"I don't need to listen," she retorted. "I know you Kylo."

She spat out his name like it was something foul in her mouth. This was ridiculous. Did he think that he could really sway her with this mockery?

"You know nothing."

Kylo rose from his chair and glared down at her. She met his gaze head on. She wasn't going to budge any more. This was where she made her stand.

"You think you know so much," he stated. "The little scavenger from Jakku sees all. Well if you are so confident, why don't you test it?" His tone was full of mockery and distain.

"Bring it on," Rey shot back. She was sick of his smug condescension. She was prepared for whatever he had in store. At least she thought she was.

Kylo reached out his hand to her with his palm facing up. Rey stared at it in confusion. What was he doing? Weren't they going to fight?

"Well?" Kylo's voice was filled with annoyance and expectation. It was like he was waiting on a particularly annoying child.

"Well what?"

"Test me," he responded.

Rey looked at his hand as if it had transformed into a wampa rat. What game was this?

"I won't hold anything back. Go ahead. Test me. Or do you lack the courage of your convictions?"

Rey didn't know what he was talking about. Like everything that had happened today, she didn't know what was going on.

Letting out a particularly exasperated sigh, Kylo reached down and lightly brushed the backs of his fingers across Rey's check. The touch was light, only the barest of contact but it sent Rey flying back into her seat. In the instant that they touched, Kylo's mind was completely open to her. All of his shields were down. Not only did she know what he was thinking but also what he was feeling. The connection severed the second they stopped touching. Rey had to take deep breaths to center herself. When she looked up, she saw that Kylo was still gazing down at her. Only now the anger was gone from his gaze. He merely looked at her with expectation.

Long moments passed as Rey made up her mind. Kylo didn't push her. Just waited until she made her decision.

Finally, she reached her hand out. Kylo grasped it firmly in his but no thoughts or feelings flooded her mind. Instead he tugged her up and lead her from the room.

"Not here. I don't want this interrupted."

He led her quickly down the hallways until they returned to his chambers. Everything in the room was back in order. It was like their morning battle had never happened. Kylo released her hand and walked to the center of the room. He sat down on the ground and looked up at her with one hand extended.

Slowly, Rey walked over to Kylo. She sat across from him, silently giving her consent for what came next. Kylo reached out to her with both hands. He kept his movements slow and deliberate, giving her plenty of time to change her mind. She didn't. Gently, Kylo touched her face with both hands before taking a deep breath and dropping his shields.


	34. Chapter 33

Chapter 32

The first touches of Rey's mind to his were feather light. Tentatively, she glided over his consciousness. Pulling information here and there. Kylo shuddered in unrepressed pleasure at the sensation. Finally, there was nothing between them. This was what he wanted for them. To have no secrets, to know each other inside and out. The kind of partnership that everyone wanted but few achieved. There would never be another for him and he was unashamed to let her feel that.

Kylo could tell the moment that she latched on to his feeling for her. The soft caress of her stopped gliding and focused in his thoughts and feelings. He encouraged her to probe deeper. Kylo didn't want to hide anything from her. She was his match, his equal. The one person in the entire universe that made him feel complete. That contained the raging inferno of his emotions with little more than the arch of one of her perfect brows.

He could feel her shock at the discovery. He longed to probe her mind in return, but he didn't. This was for Rey. To build trust between them. Trust that had been destroyed in Snoke's throne room. She felt that as well. He could feel her pull away from those memories. He couldn't blame her. They were painful for him too. But he needed her to know. To see from his perspective what had transpired.

The pressure of her thoughts on his increased. Becoming painful as she delved deeper. He could feel her replaying the events of that fateful day. He welcomed the pain. Any amount of pain was well worth it if it helped heal the rift between them.

….

Once again, Rey felt as if the world was tilting on its axis. She wasn't sure what she would find in Kylo's mind, but this was not what she expected. Of course, she had inklings of his feelings. Before everything had gone sideways, she had felt a strange connection to Kylo as well. A connection that had nothing to do with the Force bond.

What she didn't expect was the depth of his feeling for her. His devotion. Unable to resist, Rey delved deeply into his mind. Wanting to know what this was all for. What he wanted from her and what was driving him.

What she found shocked and humbled her. The depth of his feelings was more than just a passing phase or a crush. He was devoted to her. Would bend the universe to make her happy. But his love was not without cost. He had been shaped and molded into something cruel and that cruelty stained even his affection. His love was unwavering but also demanding. He craved her submission. Needed her to give herself over to his care.

"Love me, fear me, do as I say, and I will be your slave."

The entreaty whispered out to her. He was a broken soul. But that soul belonged to her. Indeed, his soul had recognized hers from the first. Of course, he had resisted it at first. His entire history had proven to him that caring was a weakness that someone could and would use against him. Desiring another only left him vulnerable.

But try as he might, he couldn't withstand his need for her. He had felt the first stirring of something when he was informed about the girl assisting the droid. The prick of awareness that his life would never be the same. That this was the path he was meant to walk. He was meant to find her.

Of course, he fought against it. Had wanted to dismiss her as unimportant when they had first met but even, so he carried her himself. Unwilling to allow another to touch her. Kylo Ren stayed with her the entire time she was unconscious. Had refused to let the First Order interrogators ply their trade on her vulnerable form. Waited until she woke up and tried to get the information in the gentlest way possible.

She felt his rage when he discovered her gone. She had run away from him and Kylo Ren lashed out like a wounded animal. Howling his rage to the skies. He didn't understand the depth of his feeling then, but he couldn't deny how much he wanted, no needed, her to be with him. So, he hunted her.

He thought he knew hate, thought that the dark side had shown him every facet of that emotion. He was wrong. When he discovered Rey in the forest of Starkiller base with the traitor he realized that there were entire oceans of hate left to explore. Jealousy burned through him. The dark need to dominate and humiliate his rival. To show Rey who was truly worthy of her.

He could have killed Finn in a moment, but his hate demanded more. He needed to shame his rival. To show him how unworthy he was of her. To taunt Finn with his superior skill and to finally finish him with a dismissive twist of his saber. Even so, he didn't understand the origins of these emotions. Didn't understand until his grandfather's saber had flown into her hands. In that moment he could no longer deny what she was. His match, his mate.

But like anything of real value, he would have to earn it. Earn her. When she ignited the saber and attacked him, Kylo Ren's spirit soared. He would answer her challenge and once he defeated her, Rey would know that her place was at his side.

He relished their fight. Loved the fire in her. Thrilled that this slip of a girl would challenge him. He wasn't even angry that she had bested him, marked him. His match should be able to stand up to him. It was on him to earn her submission.

When Kylo was summoned before Snoke, his unease wasn't for his master's anger over his defeat. It was fear that Snoke would discover his true feelings toward Rey. Kylo knew first hand, what happened to those that caught his master's attention. Snoke liked to play with his food before eating it. Without the proper training, Rey would not stand a chance. Even so, he couldn't stop himself from lashing out when Snoke had berated him for being "bested by a girl who had never held a saber before." However, he hid the reason for his rage well. Snoke thought it was born of shame for having been defeated by a novice. Really it was because Kylo had failed to claim what was his. He had not proven himself worthy, yet.

Rey saw Kylo in the elevator after that meeting. Felt Kylo's rage at knowing that Snoke would destroy the girl. That she was in danger. That was the moment that Kylo turned on his master. Not because his master had called him child and unworthy of Vader's legacy. It was because Snoke was a threat to Rey.

Every day, Kylo had to bury his feelings for her. He could never let his master see what she meant to him. It was exhausting to never let the façade drop. To keep his feeling even from her. He had to be so careful every time the force connected them. He had to walk a very fine line. He needed to let her in to gain her trust, but he couldn't show her too much. Doing so would more than likely scare her off and it would increase the chances of Snoke discovering what she really meant to him.

The hardest moment was when she came to him aboard the Supremacy. When she landed, he wanted nothing more than to haul her up into his arms and never let her go. But he couldn't, Snoke had to believe that Kylo was still his instrument. Snoke would kill them both if he ever suspected that Kylo had changed allegiances. Watching Rey's expression fall when she first saw him felt like a knife to the heart. It was agony to have her so close and not reveal all to her.

In the elevator he knew that his mask was in danger of slipping. Could feel himself giving in to her entreaties. It was torture to be so close to her, to have her look at him with such trust and ask him to join her and not give in. He had to wound her for this to work. It was the only way to keep her alive. Hurt her to save her.

When Rey started screaming that was the worst moment of all. Kylo knew how skilled Snoke was in causing pain. How much he delighted in inflicting it. Kylo couldn't keep the anguish from his face, but Snoke was too engrossed with tormenting Rey to see it. By the time that Snoke had released Rey, Kylo had his expressions and emotions under control. This was his moment. The moment that Snoke was so drunk on his own arrogance and abilities that he would never see the killing stroke coming. Snoke deserved his fate a thousand times over. The twisted creature deserved a far worse death than the one that Kylo had given him. But there was no time to savor the kill. Snoke was a dangerous enemy that he could not risk escaping. Better to kill him quickly and ensure Rey's safety. He would have to take solace in knowing that he avenged her torment.

The moments when Kylo and Rey fought together were some of the best of his life. They were a team. Their moments in sync. Kylo could feel the force connecting them and flowing through them. It gave both of them the strength to defeat Snoke's elite guards. They were one at last.

At least that is what he thought until she rejected him. The pain of that rejection burned him far more than anything he had ever felt in his life. He had severed all ties to his past for her. Had murdered his master and still she found him unworthy. Chose others over him. Didn't she see what they were to each other. What else could he do to prove himself?

Rey could not take anymore. She needed to out of his mind. She had to set the record straight. Withdrawing from his mind, Rey saw the haunted and wounded expression in Kylo's eyes. Slowly, she raised her hands to his and gently removed them from her face. She never broke eye contact as she did so, willing him to trust her and to hear her out.

She held onto his hands and Kylo stared down at the sight of their fingers clasped together.

"Now to you see?"

The words were strong, but Rey knew that they held fear behind them. Fear that he had bared his soul to her and that it had not made a difference. He was such a broken soul. She cursed everyone that warped him into this. But she needed him to understand as well.

"I wasn't choosing them over you." Rey tightened her grip on his hands, forcing him to stay with her as he moved to pull away.

"No listen to me. I think that I am owed that after all of this."

He stilled at her words but kept a wary expression on his face. How Rey longed to rest her hand on his cheek, but she knew he wasn't ready for that. He would think she was just trying to manipulate him.

"For a very long time, I was alone. I was alone for so long that when people came into my life I rejected them automatically. It was as easy as breathing for me. I convinced myself that I was better off that way and that it was better without anyone else in my life. I didn't realize how desperately lonely I was."

Rey looked up at Kylo and saw him studying her intently. She could see him weighing her every word. Taking a deep breath, she deliberately dropped all of her shields so that he could feel her sincerity.

"I was so scared of letting anyone in that I created a fantasy of the perfect set of loving parents and was willing to live my entire life in isolation waiting for people that never really existed. I convinced myself that these people were the only ones that I could trust and that I could love. I nearly ran back to Jakku and was willing to die alone waiting for them."

"When I finally let people in, I realized just how wrong I was to close myself off in the first place. My life was not better alone. It kept me safe, sure, but it also prevented me from having real joy. The thought of losing people and going back to that terrible isolation was more than I could stand. But that was not the same as rejecting you. I don't want to rule the galaxy, I never did. What I want is not be to alone anymore."

Rey watched as Kylo swallowed hard, feeling the truth in her words. Quietly he spoke.

"You are not alone."

Instead of answering him like she had during that fateful meeting in her hut on Ahch-To, she leaned in and rested her forehead against his. After a long moment she whispered back.

"Neither are you."


End file.
